Pierre Gasly was enraged to see a recovery tractor on the track during the race at the 2022 F1 Japanese Grand Prix. Notably, the Suzuka Circuit was soaked with rain and the conditions were hazardous, even causing Carlos Sainz to crash out on Lap 1.
Further, drivers were sprayed with rain showers and track water thrown from the rear of the car ahead, making it impossible for them to see anything. Gasly subsequently shouted on the team radio:
"God, what? what? What is this tractor? What is this tractor on track?... This is unacceptable."
Pierre Gasly even passed the tractor pretty close and in case of an error, could have crashed into it directly. F1 has previously seen a similar incident that cost a driver his life, and fans blasted the FIA on Twitter over the same issue.
F1 Fans blurt out their anger over Pierre Gasly- tractor incident at the Suzuka track
Pierre Gasly incident reminiscent of Jules Bianchi accident under similar conditions at Suzuka 2014
The 2014 F1 Japanese GP had faced similar rain conditions to that of 2022. During the race on Lap 43, Jules Bianchi lost control of his car and veered to the outside of the Dunlop curve at a very high speed.
He collided head-on with a tractor tending to the removal of Adrian Sutil's Sauber that had also spun out of control and had crashed a lap before. Bianchi was immediately taken to the hospital where he spent months in a coma. The driver ultimately lost his life nine months later in 2015.
Meanwhile, the FIA has issued a statement regarding the incident, stating:
“In relation to the recovery of the incident on Lap 3, the Safety Car had been deployed and the race neutralised. Car 10, which had collected damage and pitted behind the Safety Car, was then 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.”
Regardless of the FIA issuing a statement, the fraternity wouldn't want anything repeating like that and called out the motorsport governing body over this mistake.