Max Verstappen crowned world champion after terrifying tractor incident sparks memories of Jules Bianchi's death

Max Verstappen has gained the Formulation 1 world drivers’ championship after victory within the Japanese Grand Prix, securing glory with 4 races remaining within the season.

The Dutchman secured his second world title after his teammate Sergio Perez was awarded second place when Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc — who crossed the road in second — was given a five-second-penalty for chopping the nook on the ultimate lap of the race.

Verstappen has dominated the circuit this season, having gained 12 of the 18 races in 2022.

However the principle speaking level got here when the race was red-flagged on the second lap.

French racing driver Pierre Gasly drove previous a tractor on monitor at velocity, eight years after Jules Bianchi misplaced his life on the similar monitor.

Sunday’s F1 race was red-flagged after two laps as heavy rain poured down at Suzuka, with Carlos Sainz crashing on the opening lap.

To get better Sainz’s wrecked Ferrari, a tractor was on monitor to take away the automobile whereas the remainder of the sector was nonetheless going across the circuit behind the protection automobile.

AlphaTauri driver Gasly, who pitted after a signage board broken his entrance wing, was going at a quicker velocity to catch as much as the group when he handed the tractor.

It was scenes eerily just like 2014 when Jules Bianchi slid off the monitor at Suzuka and crashed right into a tractor that was recovering a broken automobile.

Bianchi died from the accidents sustained in that crash.

Gasly was visibly aggravated when he obtained again to the pits after the race was stopped.

All different automobiles within the discipline who had been on monitor additionally handed the tractor, however they had been going at significantly slower speeds behind the protection automobile.

The imaginative and prescient from Gasly’s automobile confirmed him come near the tractor in low visibility circumstances. (Provided)

The pink flag to cease the race got here out as Gasly was approaching the tractor, which was troublesome to see within the terrible circumstances.

After listening to a driver had gone previous a tractor on monitor at velocity, Sainz stated there was no want for that form of automobile whereas automobiles will nonetheless on the circuit in unhealthy circumstances.

“Even behind a security automobile, we’re going 100-150kph and nonetheless at these speeds we do not see nothing,” he stated.

“So if one driver decides to get a bit out of the racing line, or has small aquaplaning, or has to alter a swap on his steering wheel and will get a bit out of line and hits a tractor, it is throughout”.

McLaren driver Lando Norris was fuming on social media through the race stoppage.

“We misplaced a life on this state of affairs years in the past,” he stated.

“We danger our lives, particularly in circumstances like this. We wanna race. However this … Unacceptable.”

Crimson Bull boss Christian Horner was equally annoyed a tractor was on the circuit.

“Completely unacceptable. That ought to by no means, ever occur,” he stated.

“There must be a full investigation as to why there was a restoration automobile on the circuit.”

Former F1 driver Martin Brundle stated Gasly — who was believed to be going quicker than he ought to have — stated the Frenchman didn’t deserve all of the blame and the restoration automobile shouldn’t have been out till all automobiles had been behind the protection automobile.

“Ought to have been an instantaneous pink flag with a stricken automobile in a crucial place in these circumstances,” he stated on social media.

“Ought to NEVER EVER be a tractor on monitor till the automobiles are all collected up behind a security automobile or within the pits.”

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