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The horrendous downpour at the Japanese Grand Prix almost led to Pierre Gasly crashing his car into the back of a tractor on the racetrack.
Tractors will come on to the track to pick up a damaged vehicle and are easily spotted when the race is conducted in clear light.
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However, with the rain pelting down at Suzuka and drivers skidding out at high speeds, the decision to keep the tractor on track while drivers continue going around the circuit at Suzuka was baffling.
Gasly came frighteningly close to hitting the tractor and rightly blew up on his team radio immediately after.
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“I could have f***ing killed myself,” Gasly said.
“What is this? What is this tractor on track?! I passed next to it. This unacceptable. Remember what has happened. Can’t believe this.”
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An onboard video from Daniel Ricciardo’s McLaren car also shows there was no warning or way you could have seen the tractor on the track until extremely late.
The AlphaTauri driver was referencing the tragic death of Jules Bianchi at the same venue in 2014.
In eerily similar conditions with fading daylight, a tractor crane was brought onto the track to remove Adrian Sutil’s car after he had spun out and crashed.
Bianchi lost control of his vehicle and smashed into the tractor before being transported to hospital in a critical condition.
He eventually died nine months later.
The reaction from the F1 community to Gasly’s frighteningly-close shave with the tractor was fierce, with many flabbergasted as to how lessons from Bianchi’s passing were not learnt.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ broadcast, former world champion Jenson Button was empathetic towards Gasly.
“I understand Pierre’s frustration with the car being on track. He seemed pretty upset, understandably,” Button said.
“On a corner where a car had just aquaplaned off, there was a truck parked there. So, you know, he would’ve known it was a safety car and you’re supposed to slow down behind a safety car, but sometimes you’re not quite in control.”
Commentator David Croft added: “I think it’s the visibility, isn’t it?
“That’s the issue. Drivers want the track to be as safe as it possibly can.”
The FIA released a statement as to why the tractor was on the track with over drivers still out.
“In relation to the recovery of the incident on Lap 3, the Safety Car had been deployed and the race neutralised,” the statement read.
“Car 10, which had collected damage and pitted behind the Safety Car, was then 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.”
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