Tuscan Grand Prix: Gasly stopped on the first lap
The winner of the Italian Grand Prix was caught in an early race incident. Retirement for Pierre Gasly at Mugello! Esteban Ocon also came to a stop after a brake overheating under the Safety Car period.
Formula 1, a sport with ups… and downs! A week after his historic victory at Monza, Pierre Gasly retired at Mugello this Sunday: the adventure ended right at the gravel trap of the second corner of the Tuscan Grand Prix!
Starting from a modest 16th position, the AlphaTauri driver had a good start. In the mêlée, Gasly was boxed in just before braking. Sandwiched between Räikkönen’s Alfa Romeo and Grosjean’s Haas, Gasly smashed the front of his AlphaTauri. Unfortunately, his race ended in the gravel trap.
« I had a decent start. I saw that there was some space in the middle of the track: it closed up, and in the end, there was contact. It’s certainly not what we wanted, Gasly conceded in the paddock, speaking to Canal+.
Gasly: « I saw that there was room in the middle of the track: it closed up, in the end, there was contact. »
After a good Friday, the Frenchman had a complicated Saturday, eliminated right from Q1. “Honestly, it’s a shame because it worked all weekend,” regretted the Norman driver. “Yesterday (editor’s note: Saturday) after the qualifiers, we saw that we had damaged the barge-boards, which explained why we lost performance. I was confident about making a comeback today, there were things to do. We missed an opportunity.”
Last week’s winner is also OUT! @PierreGASLY is another casualty of the contact in the midfield on the opening lap#TuscanGP ???????? #F1 pic.twitter.com/BEb4zNbWI4
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 13, 2020
Abandon also for Esteban Ocon
Another French driver out before the end of the race, Esteban Ocon! The Renault driver also stopped, indirectly a victim of a massive crash in the 7th lap during the post-Safety Car restart… following the first lap collision involving Gasly!
Overheating brake problem for the French single-seater of Esteban Ocon, who finished 8th at Monza last Sunday.
Another driver is OUT of this race – @OconEsteban is the seventh driver to retire #TuscanGP ???????? #F1 https://t.co/XSuEfxTBzX
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 13, 2020
« Under the Safety Car, the car’s brakes overheated. The back of the car caught fire! It wasn’t safe to continue, so we decided to retire, Ocon stated. « It was a race with opportunities, it’s a shame, regretted the former Mercedes junior driver, who wasn’t sure in the heat of the moment about the legality of Bottas’s tactic.
In the lead on the restart of the 7th lap, the Finn zigzagged up to the start-finish line. A legal but dangerous move that contributed to a huge crash behind. Apart from Ocon, 4 cars retired at once: Latifi, Magnussen, Giovinazzi, and Sainz!
SAINZ: “By the time I saw everything it was too late – it was a big crash. The main thing is that we are all ok”#TuscanGP ???????? #F1 pic.twitter.com/7MsXZh74Uo
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 13, 2020
