The 2025 season opener in Australia turned out to be a chaotic classic. Rain spiced up the race, with almost all the rookies — and some veterans — crashing out due to the slippery track surface. However, a scary moment amidst the drama brought back some rather unpleasant memories for the F1 community.
When Fernando Alonso crashed on lap 35 of the Australian GP, race control called out a full safety car to neutralize the race, as the rain intensified and most of the field was on slick tires. But while trying to ensure the drivers’ safety, officials made the mistake of allowing a recovery truck onto the track.
While the decision was made to clear Alonso‘s damaged AMR25 and get the race back underway as soon as possible, it inadvertently created a potential safety hazard for race leader Lando Norris, who was in a precarious position behind.
Eleven years ago, Jules Bianchi suffered a tragic accident under similar circumstances. At the Japanese GP, he lost control of his car in wet conditions and crashed into a recovery crane, sustaining injuries that ultimately took his life nine months later. So, it’s only natural that fans and experts pointed this out on social media.
“F1 continues to learn nothing from Bianchi” one fan stated on X (formerly Twitter).
F1 continues to learn nothing from Bianchi
— Joe (@IIoydyy) March 16, 2025
F1 journalist Jennie Gow joined the conversation by saying, “Hate seeing a recovery truck like that on track.”
I hate seeing a recovery truck like that on track. #F1
— Jennie Gow (@JennieGow) March 16, 2025
A user replied to her post, questioning how F1 continued to tread the same line of danger even a decade after Bianchi’s death. “Genuinely, I don’t get it. Absolutely ridiculous. I thought we were far past this after Bianchi, but apparently not.”
Many feared that with the track being quite damp, any error from Norris — such as dipping a wheel onto the wet surface — could have induced a spin with potentially catastrophic consequences. Ideally, the recovery vehicle should not be near the train of cars, even during the safety car period.
All it takes is a few centimeters of a rear wheel on the damp part to spin and then he’s into the side of it. I can’t believe we’re doing this again. Even the the SC cut the chicane but on slicks, you simply do not want to do that https://t.co/v0R0lY6RQD
— Stefan⁴⁴ (@fortifoursi) March 16, 2025
Some also felt that the race should have been red-flagged completely, given the severity of Alonso’s shunt and the debris scattered across the track. But for those unaware, this wasn’t the first time F1’s race control had displayed a tendency for delayed decision-making.
Pierre Gasly’s Suzuka 2022 incident
Suzuka is no stranger to treacherous conditions. In 2022, heavy rain forced race control to call a red flag. Although half the race had been completed, the track remained waterlogged, making it difficult for drivers to navigate safely.
On his way back to the pits, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly came across a recovery tractor on the track — a sight that left him furious. The Frenchman was driving at substantial speed in torrential rain, and the thought of making contact with the tractor was terrifying, especially given what had happened to Bianchi at the very same circuit.
“I could have killed myself. There’s a f****** tractor, I’m driving flat out,” he exclaimed on the team radio.
The FIA acknowledged their mistake but also reminded Gasly that he was overspeeding. However, many in the F1 community criticized the governing body for neglecting driver safety — and after what happened in Melbourne today, those concerns remain just as valid.
