Gasly: I would have been dead

Max Verstappen secured his second Formula 1 Title at the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, but as we leave Suzuka behind, a new controversy is developing, the FIA/Pierre Gasly tractor incident.

Gasly started his race from the pit lane after his team opted for a full setup change on his car, but as Carlos Sainz crashed, part of the barrier was removed and Gasly collected it with his AT03 which meant he had to pit again for a new front nose just as double Yellow flags were out and just before the Safety Car was sent out.

As Gasly returned to the track and set out to rejoin the field, he was surprised by the site of a tractor on the side of the track that was there to collect Sainz's stricken Ferrari.

That was by all standards a huge error by the race direction, and it remains to be seen what sort of investigation would be done in that regard to ensure it does not happen again.

After all, the memories of losing Jules Bianchi after his crash with a tractor removing a crashed F1 car back in 2014 are still there and haunt everyone in the F1 community, and the Gasly incident took us back eight years in the matter of seconds.

"What is this tractor on track?" Gasly said on team radio. "I passed next to it. This is unacceptable. Remember what happened. Can't believe this!"

Alex Wurz, Grand Prix Drivers' Association chief soon added on twitter: "I think we need to discuss a tractor on track..... we can keep it short: this must NOT happen guys"

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the FIA released a statement trying to defend the race directors' position and went on the offence against Gasly revealing he was speeding.

The FIA said: "The Safety Car had been deployed and the race neutralised. Car 10, which had collected damage and pitted behind the Safety Car, was 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."

Soon after the stewards announced Gasly was under investigation for speeding and summoned the French driver to meet with them after the race.

Jules Bianchi's father Phillippe posted on Instagram during the Japanese GP that there was "no respect for the life of the driver, no respect for Jules' memory".

After finishing 17th in the race, Gasly reflected, speaking to Sky Sports F1; he said: "We lost Jules already. "We all lost an amazing guy, an amazing driver, for the reasons that we know. Eight years ago, on the same track, in the same conditions, with a crane.

"How? How today can we see a crane, not only in the gravel, on a race track, while we are still on the track? I don't understand that," he questioned.

"Obviously I got scared," Gasly went on. "Obviously if I would have lost the car in a similar way Carlos lost it the lap before - it doesn't matter the speed, 200kph, 100 - I would have died, as simple as that. I don't understand."

"It's disrespectful to Jules, disrespectful to his family," the AlphaTauri driver insisted. "All of us are risking our lives out there. We are doing the best job in the world but what we are asking is to at least keep us safe, it's already dangerous enough.

"Today I just feel it was unnecessary. We could have waited one more minute to get back in the pit-lane and then put the tractors on track," Gasly suggested.

"I'm just extremely grateful that I'm here and that the outcome is what it is, and tonight I'm going to call my family and say I passed two metres from that crane, and if I was two metres to the left I would have been dead," he concluded.

After the race, Gasly was penalized by the Stewards with 20 seconds added to his time (a drive through penalty), meaning he was classified 18th in the race.