'Makes me so angry' - Sergio Perez outraged by F1 tractor incident as Pierre Gasly hit with penalties
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Updated 09/10/2022 at 12:58 GMT
Pierre Gasly was given a 20-second penalty as well as a two-point deduction for speeding under yellow and red flag conditions early on in the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday. The driver almost hit a tractor on the track in poor visibility, and Red Bull's Sergio Perez joined the chorus of criticism for the race organisers. Gasly had fumed at the tractor being on track, calling it “unacceptable”.
Sergio Perez
Image credit: Getty Images
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez described the incident that saw Pierre Gasly almost collide with a tractor as "the lowest point we’ve seen in the sport for years".
The Japanese Grand Prix had barely got started before Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz spun out in extremely wet conditions, leading to an advertising hoarding hitting Gasly’s vehicle.
That prompted him to return to the pits for repairs, and after he exited the paddock he then drove at high speed to rejoin the pack, which the FIA later confirmed he would face censure for.
At that point there were yellow flags, and then red, with the rain still intense and a tractor on the track to recover Sainz’s stricken vehicle. That almost led to a disastrous accident as Gasly saw the tractor late on due to dreadful visibility, fortunately managing to avoid it.
With the red flag issued, the cars were then taken into the pits for around two hours before the race was declared safe for a restart, which Max Verstappen won to become world champion for the second successive season.
The incident recalled the collision at Suzuka in 2014 that led to the death of Jules Bianchi the following year, and which prompted a safety overhaul. Bianchi hit a tractor in 2014 at Suzuka when it was attempting to clear an immobile Sauber car from the track.
A furious Gasly complained that he could have "killed himself" due to the vehicle being in the way.
Lando Norris, Alex Albon, Bianchi’s father and others criticised the fact that a recovery vehicle was on the track, putting Gasly in danger, and after the race Perez added to the opprobrium.
He told Sky Sports: “That’s the lowest point we’ve seen in the sport for years. What happened today just makes me so angry. I just hope ever in the sport we never get to see this situation ever again.”
He continued: “We saw what happened here a few years ago with our friend Jules and absolutely I don’t care about what was the reason for that. It should never happen again, ever in any category.”
The FIA have confirmed that Gasly was punished for speeding at 250km/h with a 20-second penalty, as well as a two-point deduction.
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