It’s only a matter of time before someone is badly injured if the current F1 regulations aren’t changed as a matter of urgency. The new set of rules has proved controversial for many reasons, with many drivers speaking out since the start of pre-season testing.

Both drivers were approaching Spoon Curve, but were travelling at very different speeds. Bearman was using the boost mode on a section of the iconic Suzuka circuit that is usually taken flat-out, while Colapinto was coasting into the corner to save energy.

As a result, Bearman was forced to take evasive action. At over 190mph, he ended up skidding onto the grass before coming across the other side of the track and hitting the barriers in a 50G impact.

The young Brit was seen limping out of his car before sitting down at the edge of the track, sparking fears that he was badly hurt.

It was a very, very lucky escape. The huge discrepancy in closing speeds will eventually result in a driver being seriously injured unless steps are taken to improve driver safety by tweaking the regulations as soon as possible.

We saw in Australia and China how variations in speed approaching corners allowed drivers to overtake others without even trying, depending on whether they were using boost mode or coasting to charge their batteries.

Now, there is a paramount safety concern when drivers inadvertently creep up on others, leaving them with almost no time to react. That is exactly what happened to Bearman at Suzuka.

Following the race, the FIA issued a statement confirming that the regulations would be reviewed to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The governing body said: “It has been the consistent position of all stakeholders that a structured review would take place after the opening phase of the season, to allow for sufficient data to be gathered and analysed.