F1 drivers were furious about the fact that a tractor was on track while the drivers were under safety car conditions at the Japanese GP.
The 2022 Japanese GP started under very wet conditions, leaving fans unsure if they wanted to see it go ahead or not. However, on the very first lap, it was clear that the conditions were far too treacherous for racing.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who started the race from P3 crashed on the opening lap and it was scary to watch. The Spaniard hit the barriers and his car bounced back onto the track, which made it possible that other drivers would accidentally ram into his F1-75. Thankfully, even though the visibility was low, no driver made contact with Sainz and he was unhurt and the safety car was brought out.
The drivers out on track, however, lashed out at race control for what they saw after Sainz crashed. A tractor was sent out to recover the 27-year-old’s car but it was done when there were others still out on track. This made them furious because having a recovery vehicle on track when the race is not red-flagged is extremely dangerous.
Drivers like Lando Norris, Pierre Gasly and Charles Leclerc shared their frustration in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
F1 drivers were unhappy because they were reminded of Jules Bianchi’s fatal crash at Japanese GP
At the 2014 Japanese GP, Marussia driver Jules Bianchi suffered a fatal crash. The conditions under which that crash took place were frighteningly similar to what we saw this Sunday.
A safety car was brought out that afternoon too, and a tractor was on track trying to recover Adrian Sutil’s damaged car. It was then that Bianchi lose control of his car and crashed into the tractor. He lost consciousness, slipped into a coma and tragically passed away nine months later.
His death left behind a massive hole in the F1 community, and Leclerc in particular was very affected by it. This is because Bianchi was the current Ferrari star’s godfather and very close friend.
Also read: “No respect for Jules memory” – Pierre Gasly fumes as he avoids a fatal accident in 2022 Japanese GP
Carlos Sainz felt helpless after crashing in Suzuka
Sainz’s crash was scary to watch. The impact in it’s own was huge but the fact that his car came to a stop in the way of drivers racing was scarier. On top of that, the visibility was not great in Suzuka, which meant that a car crashing into him was highly probable.
A car colliding into his F1-75 at that speed could lead to serious injures if not something worse. After the race was red flagged and Sainz came back to the paddock, he revealed just how scared he was.
“The real problem came when I stopped in the middle of the track. And the other cars were coming,” he said. I knew they couldn’t see me. I was in God’s hands.”
However, even Sainz feels that before help came for him, the FIA stewards should have stopped the race and shown the red flag.
