FIA to investigate ‘scary’ incident involving Esteban Ocon at the end of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

FIA has summoned officers on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix to debate a fairly scary incident that occurred within the closing moments of Sunday’s race.

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon got here into pit lane simply previous to the ultimate lap of the Grand Prix. Ocon, who began the race on pit lane after modifications have been made to his automobile in a single day, had but to make a cease throughout the race, and as required below Components One laws, he wanted to make at the very least one tyre change.

Alpine hoped {that a} security automobile or pink flag would fly sooner or later within the race, giving them an opportunity to make that change below slower situations. That by no means materialized — regardless of Ocon’s finest efforts when he radioed in about some “particles” on the observe that the F1TV cameras by no means positioned — and he was pressured to pit earlier than the ultimate lap.

Nevertheless, a scary second occurred as he entered pit lane as photographers, who have been moving into place for race winner Sergio Pérez, all of the sudden discovered themselves staring proper at Ocon’s A523:

F1TV

The photographers have been capable of scurry away to security, and Ocon executed his pit cease with out additional incident earlier than ending the Grand Prix.

Following the race, radio transmission between Ocon and Alpine engineer Josh Beckett talked about the incident. “Sorry as properly in regards to the individuals on observe on the pit entry,” Peckett mentioned to his driver. “I didn’t realise they have been there till you have been already at them.”

“Yeah,” Ocon replied. “[A] bit scary.”

Crimson Bull Staff Principal Christian Horner, who witnessed the incident, additionally known as for an investigation. “Esteban’s inside his rights to pit on the final lap and end the race within the pit lane, I believe, if he wished to,” he informed Sky Sports activities. “The FIA must maybe police a bit of higher earlier than the tip of a race.”

That is the second race in a row that concerned a breach of the observe space. Close to the tip of the Australian Grand Prix spectators have been capable of get onto the observe earlier than the end. On account of that incident, race officers said that “the safety measures and the protocols which have been anticipated to be in place for the Occasion weren’t enforced leading to an unsafe setting for the spectators, drivers and race officers” and said that the matter can be referred to the World Motor Sport Council “for an extra investigation to find out whether or not any extra steps should be taken or penalties utilized past the remediation plan.”