Pierre Gasly and Sergio Perez reacted with fury after encountering two recovery vehicles on track during the Japanese Grand Prix.
The race was red-flagged due to heavy rain shortly after the start was given as two drivers crashed out.
Recovery vehicles were sent to recover the cars of Carlos Sainz Jnr and Alexander Albon which crashed between the hairpin and Spoon Curve. Perez passed the machinery while the Safety Car was out and complained to his team on the radio.
“Is it not clear that we don’t want to see ever a crane on the track?” he said to race engineer Hugh Bird.
Gasly was further back in the queue of cars and the race was being red-flagged at the time he saw the machines.
“God – what the? – what is this tractor?” he exclaimed in shock. “What is this tractor on track?
“I passed next to it, like… This is unacceptable! What has happened? I can’t believe this…”
Sebastian Vettel was also unimpressed with what he saw.
“Next time, they should inform us if there’s a fricking tractor on the road,” said the Aston Martin driver. “I know we’re under Safety Car, but in turn 12, there’s this…”
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
“A tractor?” asked his race engineer Chris Cronin. “Yeah, exactly,” the driver answered.
Nicholas Latifi complained he saw “the fucking crane on track there” as drivers passed by. “It’s not great in these conditions. Very silly, actually.”
This weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix marks eight years since the race in which Jules Bianchi crashed and struck a crane, sustaining head injuries he later died from.
Alexander Wurz, the chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, reacted to the incident with dismay on social media. “I think we need to discuss a tractor on track,” he said. “We can keep it short: this must not happen guys.”
The FIA issued a statement pointing out the race had been red-flagged by the time Gasly came across the vehicles by the side of the track.
“In relation to the recovery of the incident on lap three, the Safety Car had been deployed and the race neutralised. Car 10 [Gasly], 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.”
This article will be updated.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
2022 F1 season
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at RaceFans…