F1 drivers and team officials have widely denounced a tractor being allowed on the Suzuka circuit while cars were still on-track, while some commentators placed a strange focus on Pierre Gasly’s role.
The AlphaTauri driver led a chorus of anger after the tractor, which was trying to rescue Carlos Sainz’s stranded Ferrari, was allowed on track before all cars had returned to the pits.
The safety car was guiding the pack around the Japanese circuit and all drivers went past the tractor but Gasly was going at a much higher pace, having pitted due to damage, trying to catch up to the pack.
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Barely a second after a red flag was called Gasly flew past the tractor, with minimal visibility due to the rain, declaring “What is this tractor on track?”
“I passed next to it. This is unacceptable. Remember what has happened. Can’t believe this.”
He later added: “I could’ve f***ing killed myself!”
Suzuka was the circuit where the late Jules Bianchi crashed into a tractor, suffering severe head injuries that led to his death some nine months later.
Bianchi’s father Philippe posted on Instagram: “No respect for the life of the driver, no respect for Jules’ memory, incredible (angry faces).”
Lando Norris took to Twitter during the red flag period to say: “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.”
Sebastian Vettel, speaking to reporters at the track, added: “Next time, they should inform us if there’s a frickin’ tractor on the road. I know we’re under Safety Car, but in turn 12, there’s this…” while Guanyu Zhou explained “you can’t see it like five metres away”.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner called it “totally unacceptable”.
“We lost Jules Bianchi here. This should never ever happen. Checo (Sergio Perez) reported to us visibility was zero,” he said on Sky Sports.
“The VSC was brought in for a reason. It just needs to be a full investigation as to why that vehicle [tractor] was on track.”
But the Sky Sports commentary team was also concerned about Gasly’s pace given the circumstances.
“The vehicle being on the track, yes it’s not the perfect scenario when the guys are still going around,” former F1 driver Johnny Herbert said.
“But the difference here with Gasly – you’ve got that yellow flag. You know there’s been a crash before-hand. You know there may be marshalls on the circuit as well.
“Why’s he in fifth gear? I really don’t understand, that’s where to me it’s unacceptable. These guys have so many tools to when I was racing, GPS and everything else, the conversations that they have with the FIA, and that was where I – when there was a double waved yellow and I knew there was a crash – I backed off automatically.”
Tractor on track mid race in Japan?! | 01:12
In its initial reaction to the incident, the FIA pointed to Gasly’s speed as a problem.
“In relation to the recovery of the incident on Lap 3, the Safety Car had been deployed and the race neutralised. Car 10, which had collected damage and pitted behind the Safety Car, was then driving at high speed to catch up to the field,” they said.
“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.”
All other drivers who passed the tractor were going at a much slower speed but could not see it until they were very close due to the spray from the rain.
Sky F1’s Martin Brundle, who was not at the track, seemed to make a pointed comment against his colleagues.
“Should have been an instant red flag with a stricken car in a critical position in those conditions. Clearly debris on track too,” he tweeted.
“Should NEVER EVER be a tractor on track until the cars are all collected up behind a safety car or in the pits.
“Gasly can’t take all the blame here.”
