F1 Japanese Grand Prix: Pierre Gasly emotionally recalls Jules Bianchi accident and says - “I was two metres from passing away today”
A chaotic start at Suzuka resulted in a red flag when 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Carlos Sainz crashed on the first lap, but ♍in dangerously wet conditions Gasly then drove narrowly passed a recovery v🍸ehicle which was on the track.
He later fumed to his AlphaTauri team - and afterwards remembered how fellow Frenchman 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Jules Bianchi died📖 after an accident in similar circumstances at the same track in 2014.
After th🌸e race, Gasly was handed a drive-through penalty - converted into a 20-second time penalty - fo💧r speeding under the red flag.
The FIA🦩 did acknowledge that Gasly was dis♏tracted by the tractor on track.
Gasl꧙y explained: “We started last so the visibility was extremely poor. Carlos aquaplaned in Turn 12, los♔t control of the car, and went out.
“As a consequence there was a board ꦫthat I could not really see. I could not see where I was going so I boxed.
“We lost Jules eigh🅘t years ago in similar conditions, with a crane on track in the 🍌gravel.
“I don’t understand how eight years later, in similar conditions, we can see a crane. Not even in the gravel, on the ra𒆙cing ꦑline!
“It is not respectful to Jules, his familꦏy or his loved ones, or all of us.
“It was a dramatic incident. On that day w💛e learned that we don’t want to see tractors in these conditions."
Pierre Gasly: "If I lost the car... I would be dead right now"
“If I lost the car in the same way that Carlos lost his car on the lap𝔉 before? I was doing 200kph, but e𒀰ven at 100kph, it’s a 12 tonnes crane. If I hit it, I would be dead right now.
“I am extremel▨y grateful that I am still standing. Still able to call my family, my loved ones, and nothing happ🍎ened.
“For all us drivers - I h♊ope this is ♛the last time we see a crane.”
Gasly was investigated by stewards for the incident but explained: “I tried to slow down, not in an erratic manner, becaus♓e if I slammed the brake, I would have lost the car and ended up in the crane.
“I was two metres away from passing away today, which isn’t acceptable as a ra🌌cing driver.
“We were all in the pitlane one minute later. Risking my life for one minute? I ♏don’t 𝓀think it is acceptable.
“There was a crane on the racing line.
“It was two metres away from my front left 💦tyre. I was extremely scared.
“We all suffered from Jules’ accident. If we could 🌟go back🥃 and change the situation on that day, he would still be here.
“For the future, what I want is for all my colleag🔴ues to be safe, in F1 and younger categories. Hopefully we can finally learn from this situation.”
A shortened race was won by 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen who clinched his second cons🦂ecutive F1 championship in the🌄 process.
James was a sports journalist at Sky Sports for a decade covering everything from American sports, tꦺo football, to F1.
