Featured Image Credit: F1 TV
Topics: News, Sport, Cars, World News
Shola Lee
Terrifying footage shows F1 driver Pierre Gasly furiously hitting out at the use of a recovery tractor at the Japanese Grand Prix - with other drivers highlighting disturbing similarities to a fatal accident in 2018.
It was a hard race from the start, with torrential rain at the F1 Suzuka track and early crashes littering the track with hazards.
Gasly's fellow driver Carlos Sainz crashed his Ferrari at turn 12, and a recovery tractor was sent to pick it up when all hell broke loose.
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Most of the drivers passed the crane slowly, except Gasly, who was driving at high speed and in poor visibility from the rain.
According to the FIA, a red flag was put out to signal drivers to reduce their speed as conditions deteriorated.
You can watch Gasly's fuming reaction to spotting the tractor as he careens past it below:
Gasly furiously asked his team over the radio: "What is this tractor on track?"
"I passed next to it. This is unacceptable. Remember what happened. Can't believe this! We don't want to see ever, a crane on the track."
"I could have f**king killed myself," the star added.
By saying 'remember what happened', Gasly is likely referencing the tragic death of driver Jules Bianchi eight years earlier.
The driver, who was Gasly's childhood friend, crashed and died after hitting a recovery vehicle on the same track in similar conditions in 2018.
And, Gasly wasn't the only driver that was angry about the conditions on the track.
McLaren driver Lando Norris took to Twitter to air his frustrations, saying: "Wtf. How’s this happened!? We lost a life in this situation years ago.
"We risk our lives, especially in conditions like this. We wanna race. But this… Unacceptable."
While Red Bull's Sergio Perez added: "How can we make it clear that we never want to see a crane on track?
"We lost Jules because of that mistake. What happened today is totally unacceptable!!!!! I hope this is the last time ever I see a crane on track!"
Alex Wurz, the chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers Association, said: "I think we need to discuss a tractor on track..... we can keep it short: this must NOT happen guys."
Nevertheless, FIA implied in a statement that Gasly was at fault for driving at speed when red flags were deployed.
They said: "The Safety Car had been deployed and the race neutralised.
"Car 10, which had collected damage and pitted behind the Safety Car, was driving at high speed to catch up to the field."
"As conditions were deteriorating, the Red Flag was shown before Car 10 passed the location of the incident where it had been damaged the previous lap."
UNILAD has contacted F1 for a comment.
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