Why the Gasly incident needs IMMEDIATE ACTION from the FIA

Taking a look at the FIA's lack of accountability after a SERIOUS mess up at the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix...
SUBSCRIBE to WTF1 bit.ly/WTF1Subs...
JOIN Team WTF1 www.wtf1.com/te...
---- Follow WTF1 ----
On Twitter: / wtf1official
On TikTok: / wtf1official
On Instagram: / wtf1official
On Facebook: / wtf1official
On our website: www.wtf1.com
---- Music provided by ----
Epidemic Sound
www.epidemicsou...

[@braydend9582]

This never should have happened in any FIA sanction event after 2015. The FIA needs more accountability.

[@d.ave_i]

*2014

[@braydend9582]

@@d.ave_i the FIA takes at least a year to implement change. 2022 for Grosjean & (hopefully) 2023 for Zhou.

[@greenlantern7959]

Literally tractor on track at Monza 2022, mere weeks ago.

[@i_nathan21]

@@greenlantern7959 Fia says the will not do it again and then.. they do the same thing again it’s a never ending cycle

[@vincecarlo]

So FIA gets 20 Grid Place Penalty?

[@ecalalo]

The wording on the thing is awful and borderline dangerous because they never aknowledged the fact that a freakin crane was on the circuit. Honestly when I understood the context surrounding Pierre's rant I felt like crying. It is unbelievable that if history repeats itself, it could be because of negligence on the FIAs side. It's actually a scary sight.

[@NexuJin]

Alpine escaped another massive driver line up disaster if something bad did happen to Gasly there.

[@milkshakemuncher]

The Jules incident was because of Charlie Whiting FIA Race Director. If Pierre crashed causing a fatality this race, then 100% it would be Pierre's fault. Safety car and double yellows were put out, Pierre ignored both

[@UkuleleProductions]

I actually cried, when I saw this at work.

[@ijustfelldown]

@@milkshakemuncher You're missing the point so hard right now. THE TRACTOR ISN'T SUPPOSED TO BE THERE IF THE CARS ARE ON TRACK. That's all. Even at safety car speed, any other car could've aquaplaned and rammed into the tractor, not just Pierre.

[@CrunchyMotorsport]

I feel even worse for him because you can hear how distressed Gasly was

[@TheMissiIe]

"The red flag was shown before Gasly was at the tractor" ... that sounds like even if the red flag was shown 0.1 seconds before it would STILL be Gasly's fault

[@Trebuchet48]

Yup. That's exactly how the FIA (Efffing Idots Again) are trying to excuse themselves. And then they give him a penalty just to make themselves look better.

[@TRIGGEREDHarambe]

the real question is then...why was a tractor even on the track before a RED FLAG? like wtf is the FIA even doing.

[@Redskies453]

Also the entire pack had to pass the tractor under SC which is also fkd. It's not like a flag can save you from an accident if it occurs, just reduces the likelihood.

[@electricmocasins7789]

@@TRIGGEREDHarambe there needs to be a rule where at the very least when a track is declared wet and cars will create spray and thus poor visibility no recovery vehicles are allowed on track until all cars and collected in pit lane. The issue of the marshal on track also needs to be looked and maybe under wet track conditions car speeds need to be reduced even more when a safety car is called.

[@hairlokk8672]

Half the issue. Imo the bigger part is that gasly clearly dont know the rules. If he dont know them,, remove the license

[@andycopping7220]

The marshall behind Carlos car on that on board Ferrari replay, was just as terrifying.

[@roflchopter11]

But fuck the marshall. People only care about the driver's lives.

[@Zer0G101]

And gasly speed past him… guy isn’t blameless

[@rasq5546]

Those cameras are foggy and do not represent the view of the driver... gasly had the visibility of the race leader no spray in front... means he was able to see flags, marshalls, crane, ferrari car, you name it... check a less dramatic and more realistic footage like this one. The guy just did not respect the flags. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rGrZaH-OjpqsbMk

[@jjc1752]

@@Zer0G101 gasly literally had no visibility, man couldn’t even see a big tractor

[@Zer0G101]

@@jjc1752 when I can’t see I don’t drive at 250kph

[@jackalcrackle]

Yellow Flag was out as Gasly was approaching the accident keeping under the Delta (which is what he was meant to do), he accelerated to keep to the Delta (since you cant fall that far behind it). About 2 seconds before the tractor the flags went red, at 200kmph with near 0 visibility and bad conditions the driver is not going to be staring at his wheel or be able to clearly see the flags. In addition there is 0 chance he will slow from 200-0 in a period of 2 seconds. You realise travelling at that speed he would have covered 110m in those 2 seconds, so you are expecting an F1 car to go from 200-0kmph in 110m of track, in wet conditions where he could lock up and slide. He accelerated afterwards out of pure shock and anger at what had just occurred, he would not have been paying attention to his throttle after nearly dying. The FIA should have either red flagged earlier, OR brought the tractor out AFTER everyone in the pits was accounted for (all cars off the track).

[@vandanabansal3441]

True

[@izikatka9851]

Idk but he knows there is an accident in this place and even without the red flag shown he knows that there is likely to be marshals or cranes on or near the track to recover sainz' car. Even if not there is at least sainz' car and debris on the track and under this conditions it's unforgivable to go 260 kmh risking is life and the life of the marshals. Absolutely pathetic to blame it all on the FIA.

[@izikatka9851]

Ofc cranes still shouldn't be so close to the racing line especially in low visibility conditions.

[@Chapter3Fan]

+1

[@Chapter3Fan]

@@izikatka9851 quit shifting blame away from the person that cleared a tractor or marshals to go on a track when it was low visibility due to rain and cars were still going round it. You may think Pierre was going too fast or wearing a clowns hat, whetever ... which may be true or not .. But this or anything else, DOES NOT make it OK for a tractor to be there at that time!

[@scotthecarnerd1995]

Completely agree with you Matt, to blame it on Gasly is completely unacceptable and we can't have incidents like this happen again, they've learnt nothing about Jules' death in all this time

[@Spicybrain03]

He shouldn't of been if 5th gear in those conditions but also the FIA definitely shouldn't have had the tractor out on track till everyone in pitlane or all are confirmed to be formed up behind the safety car

[@brianhudson1234yt]

Double yellow for a decent amount of time before and then red flags. Hate to whole thing but why was he hauling a** during double yellow? Blame everyone.

[@brianhudson1234yt]

the

[@scotthecarnerd1995]

@@brianhudson1234yt What Gasly did under the conditions was wrong but the FIA turning round and trying to pin the full blame on Gasly is unbelievable, they're supposed to be the governing body not some 5 year old kids

[@scotthecarnerd1995]

@@Spicybrain03 I get that I really do but to try and pin the blame on Gasly all together is just a big no, yeah Gasly was breaking the rules but the FIA needs to reassess some accountability before blaming Gasly fully

[@Buonbed]

The amount of drama FIA is managing is beyond words, they play with championships like is chess and now they manage to give Gasly PTSD and blame HIM for it like it's not Bianchi's blood on their hands, about time F1 puts FIA in their place, because this is seriously getting out of hand

[@roflchopter11]

So why did he accelerate to 251kph after he saw the crane on a red flagged track? Surely if he was scared, he'd slow down.

[@milkshakemuncher]

@@StillDwill Pierre was required to drive at a speed where he could stop instantly, like right on the spot when requested, not 5 seconds or a couple hundred metres down the road. The safety car and line of cars went past the tractor at a satisfactory speed with zero risk of injury, zero risk of fatality. Pierre? 5th gear 250kph unable to stop if required. Definitely risked death and injury to Marshall's. He should have received a 2 year race ban.

[@solnadima1]

@@milkshakemuncher there still shouldn’t have been a crane while cars were still on track. It doesn’t matter if cars are going at turtle speed, cars and cranes should never be on track at the same time. That was FIA’s mistake.

[@nymphithys1558]

@@milkshakemuncher ZERO risk of injury.. bro?!? lower sc speed and spray everywhere = cold tyres, 3% vision.. sainz unfortunate position way too close to the track.. sponsor debris flying around.. aquaplaning into marshals can injure them aswell on sc speed

[@drfaustus2964]

@@nymphithys1558 this guy is joking, in other coments he does the same

[@piermariobarozzi]

FIA: we fucked up, Gasly, come here and pay for our mistake

[@hairlokk8672]

Not how it is. Yes, i also want to blame fia for ruining f1. But both gasly and bianchi did the same wrong. Rules say that double yellow, or like it is now, safety car, u need to be able to stop. U cant blame the rain or anything, if its a danger on track during that u need to be able to stop, to stand still, when u see it. Bianchi didnt, Gasly did definetly not since he had 260km/h and even tho the visual looks worse on tv, there were no chance he could have stopped.

[@steviebro0538]

@@hairlokk8672 Rules also say a tractor can operate while the race (people forgetting that word too) is still happening. If we go based of rules alone we're bound to have many crashes, no accountability, and a poor image on the sport.

[@piermariobarozzi]

@@hairlokk8672 you right, we must not held the FIA accountable for their stupidity, at the end of the day is just life's at stake, you can always bring another driver, and it's good for DRive To Survive

[@milkshakemuncher]

@@piermariobarozzi that was Pierre's choice to go so fast (against the rules), he's a moron who endangered Marshall's lives, not the FIA.

[@hairlokk8672]

@@piermariobarozzi If gasly were thinking about safety he should have been able to stop, which he clearly couldnt. Im not saying FIA did right according to their own rules. You do realize it could have been 5 marshalls out there on the track and he comes in 260 with zero visibility?

[@Glegh]

The fia is a utter mess, they can't take the blame so penalised gasly creating even more backlash, sky was also horrible today, jensen was the only one that was making sense

[@CTcuber4K]

Gasly clarified on twitter his penalty was for speeding in a different part of the track to the tractor incident

[@3ne2nr4life]

The bumbling idiots didn't even cover Max crossing the checkered flag ...

[@shanemulhall1373]

Yeah, Johnny Herbert in particular I though was out of line with his commentary

[@soisaidtogod4248]

Sky is horrible every day.

[@NexuJin]

@@shanemulhall1373 I thought his criticism of Gasly about speeding was warranted, but he was utterly wrong in that he completely ignores the danger the truck on track was potentially regardless of any speed Gasly would have been driving at in these poor track and visibility conditions.

[@luishcano__]

I think that the really crazy thing is that the FIA made us focus on if Gasly was too fast or not, or if he had enough time to react to the red flag instead of the fact that Carlos’s Ferrari was already lifted up and moving with a crane and a marshal standing on the track way before Gasly went through that corner and the red flag was deployed. Unacceptable.

[@roflchopter11]

Gasly was going to fast for the double yellows that were waiving since Carlos' initial spin.

[@johannbezuidenhout2976]

@@roflchopter11 He was trying to keep to the lap delta he was given by race control, you get a penalty if you are too far off. That tractor should never have been on track with the cars during yellow or red flags. It is a smoke screen to cover up the FIA's f'up. Race control should have notified the teams that the tractor was on track anyway.

[@addicz2]

@@johannbezuidenhout2976 Then let the victim to suffer until the track clear.

[@johannbezuidenhout2976]

@@addicz2 the medical car and safety car are the only other cars that are allowed on track. The driver was out of the Ferrari and the marshal had no business being in the middle of the track with cars still on track and the visibility that bad.

[@mariamalgorzata4974]

even if he drove like 30kph there was still a chance of hitting that crane/telehandler

[@wallymcguire2033]

Even if Gasly was partially at fault, the fact that this incident happened at all is what is unacceptable. Procedures and processes need to be in place to completely eliminate this from ever happening. A life or two was at risk here and it should never happen.

[@Chapter3Fan]

+1

[@foobar8894]

Agreed, but I do think the drivers need to take a hard look at themselves as well. The FIA should have taken the circumstances into account and not deployed stuff on track with this visibility. However, if you watch the onboard, Gasly was clearly only focused on catching up with the safety car and nothing else. A driver can't be saying, 'I could have lost the car at any point'. Their part of the safety equation is making sure they drive at speeds where that doesn't happen. They have as much responsibility as the FIA as, and often they fail that responsibility as much as the FIA does. Trying to blame it on others is common for both as well.

[@KBowWow75]

Procedures like stopping the drivers from driving quickly to catch back up to the safety car. They need to display something on the display panels and the driver's steering wheel in the sector the incident is being cleaned up in that mandates a certain speed in that sector. There are like 16 sectors in a grand prix. We've seen a local yellow and immediately the next panel is flashing green even if just a few meters away from the incident. Maybe introduce a new flag, or impliment something on the screen similar to how they have a rain symbol flashing on the displays. Drivers get in the tunnel zone when the whole course is flashing yellow under a safety car. Pierre should have remembered the incident there given he was involved in it, but I think the display panels can activate a localized delta the drivers need to follow when driving through that sector and warn of workers on track.

[@KBowWow75]

@@valerierodger7700 yeah but they would have just been knocked out of the race if they hit the tractor at that speed. They wouldn't have lost their lives or gotten injured. Verstappen nearly stopped and drove onto the grass with his right front wheel to take avoiding action when following the safety car, as the rules state you may need to take avoiding action.

[@foobar8894]

@@valerierodger7700 I do not disagree with anyone complaining about the FIA here, and I think I said as much. What Gasly did doesn't excuse the FIA, but what the FIA did does not excuse Gasly either.

[@DualityOttawa]

As a fan who watched Bianchi's final race, all I can say is that I'm happy Pierre 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐬* can go home to 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫* loved ones. 💙 Catastrophe was avoided, however the fact that everyone got away unscathed does not change the fact that this all could have been avoided.

[@shmazy86]

True that. The fact this happened at Sazuka and the tractor was actually on the track unlike with Bianci just boggles my mind.

[@hairlokk8672]

Fia should take his license tho. He cant say he didnt see it, if thats the case he drove too fast and would have had no chance to stop, which is the criteria

[@AntiSkillzee]

@@hairlokk8672 ???

[@hypernovamkvi715]

@@hairlokk8672 He had 2 seconds and with how wet it was, going a bit to fast is probably better thank risking a lock up and the penalty points system exists to handle such matters chill

[@hairlokk8672]

@@AntiSkillzee Its the same as old double waving yellow when safety car is out. Having 260 in that visibility during it endangers every racer and steward cause he is not allowed to go faster then that he can stop

[@DonLee1980]

not only 2 seconds is not enough to react to... by saying they red flagged the race 2 seconds before Gasly arrived on the scene, they've admitted that 3 seconds before, when it was still yellow flags, there was already a giant tractor on the track.

[@kristoffer3000]

The safety car and the rest of the cars passed it as well, it's unacceptable.

[@earlgumban]

FIA using Gasly as their scapegoat for their own screw ups, they never learn.

[@raveecity]

@@fiarandompenaltygeneratorm5044 no he's not. Gasly has admitted his mistake, the FIA hasn't and never will

[@AnggaTangerang]

8 years since Jules tragedy and FIA still learn nothing? WTF.

[@user-zy4uc3fq8s]

Unbelievable

[@Swettig]

”Alonsos voice”

[@SmolMarsh]

with FIA, believable

[@andrewtormanen]

After Abu Dhabi, it's not unbelievable, but definitely unacceptable.

[@FormulaCenter1]

This is ridiculous. we almost had a Jules Bianchi accident again. That would have been horrifying.

[@LogiForce86]

Gasly has lost his position to complain when he comes at the scene at over 200 km/h!!! He's as mental as the race director who put that tractor out there too early in my book, because he knew a car was parked on the racing line and marshalls could be on the track for fire control or driver rescue. SLOW THE F**** DOWN in my opinion!

[@Yuriko-Hime]

@@LogiForce86 Gasly's yellows didn't fire on his dashboard when he came across the tractor, from my understanding. He had no reason to think it wasn't green still.

[@kohikappu]

FIA never learn.

[@kohikappu]

@@LogiForce86 So, would you have said the same if it was Jules Bianchi? "Jules had lost his position to complain when he comes at the scene at over 200 km/h!!! He's as mental as the race director who put that tractor out there too early in my book, because he knew a car was parked on the racing line and marshalls could be on the track for fire control or driver rescue. SLOW THE F** DOWN in my opinion!" Think it again before commenting on this stuff.

[@LogiForce86]

@@Yuriko-Hime The signs are flashing yellow and than switch to red just before he comes to the tractor. Besides, he was trying to catch up and thus not hindered by the spray. So no excuse for not noticing the signs. Next to that Gasly is already an experienced driver and you know that with such a crash it won't be a 2 lap job to get a totalled car off of the track. So it was also something he easily could've anticipated upon, and take extra note of signs. There is a reason why you shouldn't just go off of electronics, let alone one set of it inside the car alone... they tend to fail much quicker than a guy waving the yellow flag by hand.

[@Szergej33]

The craziest is the interview with Fernando. He was in the train behind the SC, and he said he did not even see the crane. This is wild, because on-board footage shows the crane was there by the time Verstappen passed it behind the SC. So basically not just Gasly, but literally any of the cars behind the SC could have hit the crane if they lost the car - or could have just driven into it if they chose a different line. This is insane.

[@NexuJin]

I don't understand why the FIA don't even mandatory inform the teams and the drivers that there (and where) is a massive stationary vehicle on the track. I'm 100% sure if Gasly was told there is a BIG EFFIN TRUCK ON THE TRACK, he wouldn't have been driving with that speed around. Beside there should have never been a big effin truck on the track in the first place!

[@Nico_M.]

Throughout the day I read people saying "but Gasly was going so fast". He was following the safety car time delta, i.e. the speed the rules ask drivers to follow (we even had last week, albeit under different circumstances, a driver being penalized for going too slow during a SC). Maybe the "safety" in the name confuse some people, but the speed drivers have to follow is still quite high, and (as stated in the video) it's not possible to reduce the speed that quickly when the red flag was activated.

[@hairlokk8672]

Safety car delta means nothing. U are not allowed to drive faster then that u can stop for things on the track

[@milkshakemuncher]

OMG Perez was not penalised for going too slowly, he was penalised for falling back more than 10 car lengths. He was falling back, accelerating closing up, falling back, accelerating to warm tyres and brakes. You must remain within 10 lengths of the safety car. Now Gasly was penalised because the accident zone was double yellow flags, these are more severe than normal yellow flags. Double yellow means you need to slow down and drive so slowly that you can stop immediately (not even 5 seconds later) if required. He clearly disobeyed that going past Sainz car and the tractor, then the race was red flagged which means race suspended, drive slowly to the pits. Instead he exceeded 250kph (after the crash recovery zone). He doesn't deserve a racing licence.

[@Nico_M.]

@@milkshakemuncher Pérez was penalised for falling back more than 10 car lengths, because he was going slower than the safety car (tell me how on Earth a driver can fall behind the SC without going slower...). And you mention the double yellow flags. The onboard camera show that the curve just before the tractor, the lights were flashing yellow, which means single yellow flags. And about the 250 km/h, I agree with you there wasn't any need of going that fast, the race was already red flagged.

[@ningyaoningshen4931]

@@milkshakemuncher I suppose u r right. Drivers disobeys the rule, they get penalties. But what about FIA? Do they also get penalise if they break rules? Because u can clearly see that FIA are in the wrong by placing a tractor on track while cars are still on track without any warning to the drivers. On top of that, it’s a wet condition. F1 car on low speed can still aquaplane.

[@Dat-Mudkip]

@@milkshakemuncher Double-yellow flags are not a perfect solution. Number one, you're assuming the driver could even SEE them. By the time Gasly got to the marshal post, it was displaying red, which isn't going to tell him anything in relation to hazards on the track. Secondly, just because a driver sees the double-yellows only tells them there is a hazard on or near the track. In this case, I seriously doubt he had ANY idea there was going to be a damn tractor there... let alone on the racing line! You watch the footage and you can't see anything except the flag marshal's post, and even then the light has turned red by that point so he has no way of knowing of the on-track hazard. If he had clamped the brakes down at that point, he would have gone completely straight, and I can almost promise you he would have hit the tractor had that happened. Was Gasly speeding? Yes. Was it irresponsible? Yes. But even if you obey all the rules down to the punctuation mark, things can still happen. What if Gasly aquaplaned, or suffered a brake failure? All the rules and safeguards in the world are not going to prevent him from crashing into the tractor at that moment.

[@mrpomme_1]

I feel like after Charlie passed away, the FIA and Race Direction got worse and worse.

[@akula966]

Well, that's because they have, Carl.

[@tenej6992]

Suzuka exposed how the FIA just went downhill instead of actually improving. They fix old problems then bring new problems that have been fixed 8 years ago. What a disgrace...

[@gokartrobert]

They need to take a step towards indy car or imsa or even nascar. If a car is wrecked and needs to be lifted off to be cleared. there should be safety vehicles on scene ways before the wrecked cars with flashing lights and marshals directing cars to stay clear to one side of the road and be moving very slowly.

[@oldmanstumpie1061]

Also add to the list the Lando / Max incident in Quali. They had not 1 but 2 very lucky escapes this weekend. They also need to introduce a proper minimum speed for out laps similar to the VSC for maximum speed but a HTFUSC (Hurry The F Up Safety Car) car for out laps. The FIA need to give themselves a solid uppercut.

[@dirtydishes2148]

There are so many additional safety procedures that could be adopted or added by F1. Take the slow-zones from WEC series. Plus they will have a track car with flashing hazard lights behind any additional recovery vehicle to ensure the drivers can see and are aware of it on the track. Or simply never allow a large tractor or crane on the track if the cars are still on the track. I sincerely hope that the FIA will actually take action on this.

[@Sn0w_Official]

For this to be the pinncale of all motorsports it is sure being handled like this is a netflix show for sure. And yeah that and add to the fact that it could have also been potentially avoided if the wet tires weren't total dog ass at that. Honestly I hate to see what it genuinely has to take before someone really faces the accountability they should have taken already. (Like when it took Dale Earnhardt to die in a crash in nascar to finally mandate the HANS device for safety)

[@eslixgaming756]

During the race at first we & the Dutch commentators didnt know why Gasly was so mad. I have rarely seen a driver that mad. Then we saw the footage and the onboards of Gasly and the crane and it all made sense. The FIA never seems to be pointing fingers at themselves and this needs to change.

[@lenamafalda]

Similar case with the Greek commentators, they were initially puzzled as to why Gasly reacted like that when he was shown talking to the team race directors at the pitbox. Then we heard the radio message and during the time we were all waiting for the race to be restarted, one of the commentators found out the footage of the crane being on track and showed it live, much to everyone's outrage at FIA over this.

[@talonobrovacgorgon5994]

Missile Strikes and tractors on live track are perfectly fine, but some jewelery is where the FIA draws the line. Amazing

[@NexuJin]

And under wear. Soon they will make all the drivers go shirt less just to check they don't have too much chest hair that could catch fire.

[@steviebro0538]

@@NexuJin I was about to say. 😂

[@steviebro0538]

@paper plane Almost there. You just forget that if there's no marshal of tractor, anything at all, then neither ones safety gets endangered.

[@steviebro0538]

@paper plane I refer to 2020 for your answer on fires that have included track debris. Other than that, fires happen off track and even then even the damn drivers can put them out. Be realistic in an argument.

[@NexuJin]

@paper plane I hope you do understand that the according to regulations, race control has to give permission for recovery vehicle to enter the track. That would mean race control knew there was a truck on the track (not just on the side) AND didn't warn drivers about this fact. Regardless of what speed the drivers are going. Any sensible human being knows that the weather condition was treacherous for F1 cars, with one just aquaplaned into a barrier. Reason why they decided to red flag the race in the first place. You can talk all about how the drivers should be more responsible. But that doesn't take away the FIA also made a serious error.

[@eggsbenedict8407]

i didnt even think about gasly aquaplaning, hearing his statement made me 10x more furious at the fia, 2022 is a nightmare for f1

[@BakersTaste]

They really did defenestrate the guy who suggested that they admit to their own mistakes...

[@ciaranmcguinness8900]

No relation to the video but I just absolutely love that word

[@nealfirstofhisname]

@@ciaranmcguinness8900 Defenestration is such an amazing word.

[@husseinyatim]

FIA owning up to their mistake: ❎ FIA shifting the blame every time: ✅

[@rhonita]

I am hoping FIA will release the result of the investigation about this one. This is so fucked up!

[@adamhafiddin9564]

The fia shouldve thrown red flag the moment after sainz crash. He block almost half the track with debris around. So that the marshals can safely clear them especially at that deteeiorating condition. The lack of quick thinking at the stewards room really shows which one is the real clowns running the circus this season

[@addicz2]

Or Gasly is too blind to see Yellow light flashings before red light?

[@adamhafiddin9564]

@@addicz2 I bet he did. I'm also bet he did not expect to see a recovery vehicle right after the corner

[@LocalCatgirl0689]

It’s a tractor, not a tracktor. Clearly the FIA can’t spell. On a serious note, this was horrifyingly close after having seen tons of replays between the broadcast and Twitter. I’m utterly baffled at the incompetence required not only to allow this to happen, but the George Russel-tier lack of responsibility for their clear and obvious mistake.

[@Lisdexanfetamine]

The tractor was there even when they were on the Safety Car train, doing some 150kph…

[@MLGskull]

Feels like some third party needs to sue the FIA for gross negligence or something similar, only way they can be really punished. It's one of those times where because it happened in a sport people forget that there's real world laws that should be considered.

[@the1raaKile]

If you say go look at the Gasly interview, link the Gasly interview in the description pls

[@Falconius]

I was watching the F1 tv coverage at the time and while I was listening to Jolean Palmer rant about how terrible it was that there was a tractor on track and I opened twitter and found out that sky was blaring gasley

[@hairlokk8672]

Know the rule?

[@SpaS949]

My take on the matter: Pierre should have driven slower, but that’s not the main point. The key factor here is that the FIA must be either purely stupid, or they don’t care about what happened to Jules.

[@hairlokk8672]

Not removing the idiocy of fia. But honestly, the main point is that pierre should have driven slower. If u cant stop during safety car, or like in bianchis case, double yellow, u drive too fast. And there is zero chance gasly could have stopped before the tractor. Im still amazed that they gave him 20 sec and not ripped his superlicense on the spot.

[@mattclaypool6206]

@@hairlokk8672 so you blame JB for his death then?

[@franciscoalbino7108]

@@hairlokk8672 is just the most delusional guy i ever seen, congrats u should win something for that

[@hairlokk8672]

@@mattclaypool6206 If u want to be technical, sad but yes. He could as likely hit and killed a couple of stewards for driving reckless during double waving yellow. An f1 driver that loses control over his vehicle when he is not allowed to go faster then being able to stop for anything on track is clearly going to fast. Maybe the tractor actually saved the guys working theres lives. Who do u blame? Considering it was nothing strange having tractor out there at the time and not against the rules. I find it strange that in every other racing series its no issue having them out there. But in other series the drivers actually respects yellows and safetycars and everyone working around the track

[@hairlokk8672]

@@franciscoalbino7108 If u want to change the rules and redflag every race instead of safetycar or yellows, talk to fia. Im just stating the facts.

[@yawningsalmon]

I'm glad nobody is hurt. I hope the situation never gets repeated again.

[@boombozling2633]

the fia is driving me away from f1 everyday man

[@ericsteylen8459]

FIA: Let’s summon Lewis Hamilton to race control to discuss the dangers of jewelry. Also FIA: Let’s let a tractor on a live circuit with torrential conditions that replicate the tragic 2014 incident involving the death of Jules Bianchi due to a collision with a tractor on track, at the same circuit.

[@Dagiantkilla]

This should have never happened. A lesson was learned years ago here at this very track so FIA should have had everything in place to prevent this already. Then to put the blame on Gasly is unbelievable. Heads should roll. FIA has no excuse for this incident. They were never gonna take responsibility until the drivers cried out. Thank God nothing happened but it should have never had the opportunity to.

[@esciteach7997]

Matty: tell us how we can get this across to FIA? One email means nothing. They only care about the bottom line $$$$. So thank you for YOUR voice and urge anyone else with a platform (ALL your Sky F1 reporters) to NOT LET UP.

[@apexyao8931]

First we have Ferrari Strategists. Now we have FIA 🤣

[@NexuJin]

F for Failures.

[@slap_k_man1862]

oh boy i cant wait for the podcast and the katie fia melt down rage we will see smoking coming out of her ears this time lol

[@Jared_Cunanan]

I think FIA was very broken they never learned on their past mistakes.

[@Ajohnson125]

Messed up they should change something

[@RPLAsmodeus]

This has been a long time coming. They have progressively got more and more lax with it. Heavy machinery should never be on track while cars are running under any circumstances, no exceptions. If that means red flagging a race multiple times, so be it. Even in dry conditions.

[@kohikappu]

Another solution is to actually bring the red flag first, make sure the track clear and cars already enter the pit lane to clear the mess from the first part of the race. This is unbelievable, and FIA is a literal clown.

[@michaelt589]

I'm just absolutely heartbroken that we even need to have this conversation. A death from incorrect action should result in change to ensure it never happens again, and yet the FIA prefers to toy with fate. Please let me know what I can do to help stir forward progress to prevent future potential accidents!

[@conventionality]

Gasly could have been speeding because he wanted to catch up with the pack so they could bring the tractor out. Also regardless of if he was speeding or not had he aquaplaned or not seen the tractor he could have hit the marshall and that would have been another unnecessary death

[@roflchopter11]

The point of double yellows is to be prepared to stop.

[@hairlokk8672]

Not allowed

[@blumenbeet92]

He knew the car would be still there, then way drive that fast?

[@rubashisha3305]

totally unacceptable, poor Gasly was terrified saying he'll call everyone he loves after.

[@Vok250]

Gasly is lucky to be alive.

[@catalan500_8]

Matt you didn’t even mention one of the worst parts. There is video circulating that there was a Marshall on the track and Pierre almost ended him because he couldn’t see. It was fortunate the Marshall was paying attention and got out on time. The FIA could’ve had Pierre’s or a Marshall’s blood on their hands!

[@todd.sherley]

I still dont get why the VSC speed delta's aren't put in place when a full safety car is called? Clearly there's been an accident but the cars catching up to the safety car queue are able to power around at full speed?

[@Leonbray]

There was a delta for the safety car and Gasly was within the delta.

[@FireCrestGaming]

It’s even worse than Jules’ incident since the tractor then was off the circuit recovering Sutils car this is ridiculous, say what you will about Gasly’s speed and blah blah but the vehicle should NOT be anywhere on the track while the cars are still going around

[@rexstetson1717]

Shocking and unacceptable. I honestly am at a loss for words beyond that.

[@Iceman15333]

Regardless of semantics with gasly, what was a tractor doing on track BEFORE the red flag came out? I have to assume it takes a tractor more than 2 seconds to get into that position....

[@shanmango]

The most egregious part of this is when most of the Sky Sports commentators started blaming Gasly for this incident

[@sagittated]

No, they didn't, and even if they had, it still wouldn't be the most egregious part.

[@kohikappu]

No, they blamed the FIA instead.

[@Maleficent84]

Personally, I feel that all the F1 drivers need to come together on this, put their foot down and encourage their teams to do the same. Safety should be paramount in a race regardless of who or what it is. If you can't take it seriously, why should anyone drive, marshal or attend such a sport. This needs to end NOW!!! F1 is supposed to be the pinnacle of motorsport. FFS!!!

[@hollyrussell280]

I want to see an independent inquiry into the conduct of the FIA and the results of the inquiry to be made public. Their lack of accountability is dangerous and it needs to be addressed.

[@Bobby11]

So the FIA throw out penalties.. what about penalizing themselves... they are a joke.

[@rahulzingade99]

There is footage now from Sainz' onboard that shows a marshal was also present there at the time, at the front end of Sainz stationary car that means middle of the track as Gasly passed him. Edit: Here's the video kzbin.info/www/bejne/gGTSXqWVZ7ecn5I www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZsDFBYb

[@BrandonA1]

So what you're telling me is that if Gasly lost control of his car we could have gotten a Tom Pryce AND Jules Bianchi incident in 1?

[@johncenile8044]

They are acting like it was Gasly speeding that caused the crane to be on the track...FIA has been trolling the past few races, hope they get it together for next year

It's hard being an F1 fan after this

[@akula966]

I know just how you feel. Everything is going to shit with this sport. Just walk away where there is still a chance to.

[@a.a.1245]

Little over reaction dont you think?

[@GuidoHaverkort]

With those visibilities there should never be obstacles on track, not even under red flag. Only until all cars are in the pit

[@imalexrocha]

Even if the red flag was waved 30 s before he went by it, he still could lose control of the car and go into the crane, or a marechal, the speed doesn’t even matter it’s the fact that the crane is there while cars are still passing is just waiting for an accident to happen

[@roflchopter11]

The speed directly impacts the probability of losing control, the reaction time given visibility, and the energy of the potential crash. The speed is everything. Double yellows means be prepared to stop

[@imalexrocha]

@@roflchopter11 dude ofc the speed matters in that sense, but the speed shouldnt even be a factor, the fact that the tractor is even there is so unacceptable, and thats the point

[@hypernovamkvi715]

this made me super angry to the point where i almost threw stuf at the tv i mean seriously how incomptent do you have to be to pull something lik this and i want the fia to be tranparent ith the public on this one i am tired of their hiding things and not being accountable

[@sarojinichelliah5500]

I myself almost hit a tractor one rainy night with two dim lights high up making me think the street lights were too low when I realised it was a tractor and thanks to the great brakes and my fast reflexes I didn’t hit it. I think luck was on my side as there weren’t any other vehicle behind me.

[@JaggerDaBombs]

This has really taken away from Max's second win, as it should given the seriousness of the incident. If a tractor is on track the race needs to be red flagged until the tractor is off the track. Even in dry sunny conditions it would be unacceptable, so who in their right minds given the condition thought it was appropriate for the tractor to come on track is beyond me.

[@3ne2nr4life]

The FIA need to get their act straight!!! Busy bothering Hamilton while they're encouraging dangerous track conditions . That penalty was a farce and should be revoked!

[@TheMrFishnDucks]

Truly nothing learned from Jules death with incidents still happening.

[@10acious32]

If there's a crane off track: safety car. If there's a car on the actual track (like we saw today and Monza): RED FLAG Also a blaming Pierre? Really FIA?!

[@liveandletdie138]

where did they blame Gasly for the tractor being on track?

[@10acious32]

@@liveandletdie138 they penalized him and said he was speeding under red flags despite the reds being out for 0.5 seconds before the incident and him being 9 seconds down on his delta.

[@liveandletdie138]

@@10acious32 Didn't they clock him going really quickly during the red flag and that's why he was penalized?

[@10acious32]

@@liveandletdie138 you might be right honestly, Gasly said he was 9 seconds down after the race. If that is the case, Gasly was being reckless on top of the crane and marshal being out on tack in dangerous conditions.

[@FormulaFox]

I'm not too sure the FIA are the ones who need to be held accountable here, but they ARE the ones who are responsible for dealing with it now that it's happened. You see, it does not surprise me that this occurred in Japan. Japan seems to have gone a little too far in response to what happened to Tetsuya Ota in 1998, and are far too quick to deploy equipment. In Japanese domestic series they sometimes won't even go full course yellow when recovery equipment is on the track. It looks to me like they went to default procedures and did not account for how things are done in F1. The FIA does need to get on someone's rear end over it - it's one thing to do it in your domestic championships where it's normal procedure the drivers are briefed on, it's another to do it when it is not at all part of the expected procedure. (and no, I'm not condoning the procedure in their domestic series, I'm just emphasizing the matter further with that comparison)

[@Taz_XE076]

Wish more people would read this...

[@Uno.Numero]

Instead of Penalizing themselves the FIA penalized the driver they attempted to murder.

[@RBRT02]

Seems like FIA can be sued for attempted homicide

[@whocares2465]

The penalty is completely ridiculous 🙄 😒

[@mrbungle3310]

penalty was deserved,but they should have never brought the tractor that early

[@ogreman2229]

The penalty was deserved but the tractor should not have been there. It’s two separate but both entirely unacceptable issues.

[@Ceece20]

Penalty was deserved. Don’t go 250+ kph on a double yellow period.

[@Angry_Squirrel555]

Gasly wasn’t even cited for speeding until after he passed the recovery vehicle, which is just the FIA trying to divert attention to their gross failure.

[@gr33nm0nsterr6]

First Monza recovering Daniels car, Then Singapore I believe it was when the race for green flagged with marshals still trying to recover the stuck wing (apparently a replay but we don't know) how this, Either a marshal or a driver is going to be seriously hurt, The FIA need to stop pointing fingers already and admit mistakes they're more in denial than Ferrari

[@Timeforspas12]

maFIA can't even get away from this one. Tomorrow they'll face yet another L, it will be funny.

[@kyledonnington4957]

my mind is prewired to think that that a "tractor" is one of the backmaker cars when mentioned.. lmao

[@PimSchouten]

Think we have to be extremely lucky that we didn’t see a horror crash like we saw in 2014. Absolutely mental this…

[@ogreman2229]

The penalty to Gasly is 100% deserved, he was driving ridiculously fast given the yellow/red flags and low visibility. That in no way cancels out the fact that they CANNOT allow a tractor on the circuit with the cars out there. They are 2 SEPERATE and both entirely unacceptable issues.

[@michaelcourtney4969]

when you have something like this happen directly after Singapore where a Marshall was on track still struggling to get albons wing out from under the barrier when the track went green and the cars went by at full speed it makes you really question whether or not the FIA know what they're doing. it's getting beyond a joke now.

[@IIGrayfoxII]

Gasly was going too fast for double yellows YES he was going 240km/h when it became red, that also means he was doing that speed under double yellows. Gasly also to blame for the issue, if he was doing 100km/h the risk of aqua planing goes down.

[@arkangelarkangel1302]

Is it me or is SUZUKA really... never a great race. GASLY is kind of a crybaby... but he was almost killed.... still crybaby. Alpine... will soon be the all French Crybabies Team.

[@sermerlin1]

Like what the fuck was crane even doing on the track while formulas were still ON the track? What is this bullshit statement "he drove fast under red flag"... Like even if there was a whole MINUTE of red flag... If for any reason there is formula ON THE TRACK doesn't matter even if it's STANDING STILL... there SHOULDN'T BE a freaking crane tractor on the track. NOTHING should be on the track except the formulas themselves as long as the race is at hand. Like how does this even happen? What isn't clear about that? It doesn't even matter how fast under the red flag or yellow flag (or any other flag) Gasly or whoever else would happen to be at the place of incident... NOTHING SHOULD be except the formulas INSIDE THE TRACK, be it pavement itself or runaways. I am literally shocked about this.

[@greenlantern7959]

Replace SC with red flag. No service, restart after track is clear. There was a tractor on track at Monza this year and nobody complained about safety, just “get racing again”. SC means marshals and equipment on track, that’s the difference between VSC, but clearly it’s still not enough. Red flag. Period.

[@rodbritton360]

I worked in a management role in motorsport for 20 years - and participated in constructing many risk matrix profile meetings (typically, the legal team lawyers and beam-counters were the other participants). There are always two factors to consider: 1. The risk of an incident occurring; and 2. The worst-case scenario if said incident occurs. From the preceding, the risk-management team then typically applies a 1-5 rating from acceptable risk to extreme risk profile. A tractor, without warning, on the actual racing surface in near zero visibility with a high risk of aqua-planing would be a level 5 risk factor. It would be at the same level as why indestructible bollards have been implemented worldwide in highly populated pedestrian zones. A vehicle should not be moving in a pedestrian zone, but if it does, the consequences are horrific. On a side note, in most government work safety laws across the world, vehicles at a docking (loading yard) must have a high-visibility flashing light and be restricted to walking speed. Yet, there were no high-visibility warning lights on the JCB. The number of risk-profile factors broken during this event is staggering.

[@gokhantoros]

Double yellows on the sector and he's still driving at 250kph, wheel spinning under acceleration... There were marshals on the track, in front of the tractor! Carlos's car was still there. He could aquaplane and crash into either of them as well. He just used the tractor situation to cover up his f***up if you ask me. He could easily kill someone who is trying to do his job yesterday because how irresponsible he is! For reference: "A double yellow comes into play if the hazard is wholly or partly blocking the track and/or there are marshals working on or beside the track."

[@gavin7261]

Idk why people are crying and blaming the FIA 100%. And creating unnecessary instances in their heads. He sped past double yellows and red flags. Tractors have always gone on track quickly as per procedures and peoples request to clear incidents quickly. Don’t be quick to create drama

[@Paul-Genge]

I 100% with everything Matt and the drivers have said about this. However, there is also a flip side. MARSHALLs! They don't have a voice, or a stage to shout from. They are volunteer workers who are there for their love of the sport. They don't want to be working on track and then hit by a fast moving F1 car either. When a recovery vehicle needs to enter the track, for everyones safety, neutralise the race. All cars stopped. Then trackworkers, vehicles and machinery can enter the course and do what needs to be done. Then resume racing. Even safety cars / VSC are not safe enough in some circumstances, and it soaks up the race time and burns petrol. Lets stop, fix, race again

[@mattclaypool6206]

Whatever speed Gasley was going, if he had hit the tractor due to visibility, he would never be driving in F1 again. Seriously injured or worse, another JB situation which should never be a thought again. This is twice this season that the FIA has done some severely stupid thing that compromised the safety of not only the driver, but the marshals as well. This cannot continue, if there isn't a significant course of action taken soon, the absolute worst case scenario may happen again and F1 would lose all the gains it had made since 2014 due to the incompetence of a governing body that is more focused on greased palms rather that safety and actual good racing. (I'm looking at you full wet tires. I know it's Pirelli's design but they are awful and the FIA needs to make them change them before the start of 2023.)

[@charamia9402]

'Gasly was going too fast under red flag.' Reminds me of 'Bianchi was speeding under double wawed yellow'. That's not the point, the point is under those condition, with that poor visibility and that high risk of aquaplaning, the recovery vehicle cannot be on an active track!

[@MichaelG1986]

That was an absolute disgrace. The FIA have been a disaster in recent years and Mohammed Ben Sulayem is not the person to rectify this. I'm expecting only more clownery as regards the cost cap controversy. F1 is in a dark place: FIA arbitrary decisions, poor safety reviews, emphasis on growing the sport at any cost... A real mess.

[@killsam5979]

fact is that if you hit a tractor at 60/80kph you can still die to it. On a Red Flag you can totally wait 5 more minutes to let everyone inside the pits before bringing a tractor out, under Safety Car you wait for all the cars to catch the safety car before bringing a tractor out AND you also let the pilots know WHERE the tractor is. Common sense

[@arba71]

FIA f-up, no doubt about it. But everything seems to be driver centric. The driver can speak for himself (he did), his fellow drivers can speak for him (they did), add to that the team, the media, fans, and many more. But who speak for the marshals? Why is pitlane has a very strict speed limit but at the area where the marshals doing their work slowing down seems like just a suggestion? They're not even paid, at least give them the same level protection as pit crew, they deserve that much.

[@Sal_car88]

Every f1 car should be in the pit before any other vehicle goes on track. Make it that simple. Blaming Gasly or using him as scapegoat is absolutely absurd! Gasly is right to be furious and right to say how disrespectful it was to Jules and the whole Bianchi family.

[@strawberrymoon2290]

Although I agree with some of the comments made about how Gasly was still driving too quickly despite the double yellow flags and under the safety car condition, the tractor / crane should not have been immediately deployed like that. We all saw the dash cams of the drivers and they have low to almost zero visibility in that very moment. On top of that, the tractors / cranes / recovery trucks should have ample warning lights around it and the 1 deployed here hardly have 1. Even if they drive at only 100kph, the road condition could still prove to be dangerous with all the aquaplaning - 1 wrong turn and it can cost another life, not just that of the driver, but even for the marshalls. I don’t understand why they didn’t wait for all the cars to safely return to their pitstops or be boxed.

[@valerierodger7700]

Some people are focusing way too much on Gasly's fault in this. That ignores the fact that all the other cars passed the equipment BEFORE the red flag was dropped and a number of *drivers didn't even know it was there because they couldn't see it.* When they said what it was that had Gasly fuming, I went back and watched his onboard and then the onboards of the other drivers. I couldn't believe that thing was actually _on_ the f'n track! Drivers are weaving, accelerating, and braking, as per normal under the safety car. They aren't in a straight line single file, they are all over the track, and the equipment is on the track at the point where the track has the least visibility. As they were going past the first tractor, Leclerc was to the left of Verstappen, and Perez was to the left of Leclerc and closing on him when the tractor appears as he hits the brakes. Perez was pissed, and took a few moments before radioing his displeasure. Charles was upset - and I can't even imagine how he must have felt seeing that crane on the track. Forget Gasly, _anyone_ could have aquaplaned, or spun out, or just moved left to avoid the spray of the car in front and ended up hitting that crane because they didn't know it was there - Some of the drivers said the 1st time they knew that they had passed a crane on track was when they were checking their phones during the red flag

[@The-Chief-Sweep]

Also the fact that skyf1 tried to say it was Gaslys at fault and not the FIA doesn’t sit right with me

[@cp6027]

Remove the tractor on track and he still get the penalty. He knows where the incident is because the tire wall wrap was on his nose cone. He knows the safety car was deployed because of the crash. There was double yellows displayed and he comes up there at a very high rate of knots. He wasn't using his brain.