Former Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve has voiced his strong opinion on the incident involving Oliver Bearman and Franco Colapinto at the Japanese Grand Prix. Villeneuve, who won the F1 championship in 1997, did not hesitate to hold Colapinto primarily responsible for the crash. The accident occurred on lap 21 of the Suzuka circuit, when Bearman attempted to avoid Colapinto, who was moving at a significantly lower speed due to the recharging of his Alpine's battery.

Bearman, realizing Colapinto's slowness, tried to swerve, causing him to lose control of his car and end up hitting the tire barriers. The young driver was evaluated at the medical center and, fortunately, was declared in good health. Colapinto, for his part, finished the race in thirteenth position, and the stewards decided not to take any further action regarding the incident.

The stewards' decision not to penalize Colapinto surprised Villeneuve, who stated that the Argentinian driver was to blame for the incident. Villeneuve emphasized that Colapinto's maneuver was dangerous, especially in a critical corner like the Spoon Curve, where the driver was regenerating energy. The former world champion strongly criticized the action, highlighting the speed difference between both cars and the lack of space for Bearman to react.

Villeneuve stated: “I was surprised that nothing was done to Colapinto, because this is what you don’t want to see.” He added that Colapinto's maneuver exposed the dangers of the new F1 regulations, where speed differences can be very dangerous. Villeneuve did not understand Colapinto's decision to move at such a low speed in such a dangerous place.

Franco Colapinto, for his part, denied any responsibility for the incident, explaining that his Alpine had slowed down significantly due to energy harvesting. The incident also generated reactions from other drivers, including Oliver Bearman, who commented that he could have had a little more space. Colapinto, although he has been under scrutiny in the past for not matching the pace of his teammate, Pierre Gasly, has shown signs of improvement, having scored one point in the current season.