Formula One driver Esteban Ocon averted a potential disaster during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday as he narrowly avoided several people lined up on pit road on the final lap of the race.
Photographers were lined up on pit road when Ocon came in for a pit stop. Ocon came very close to hitting a few people, but they were able to get out of the way before an incident.
«This is crazy,» Ocon said after the race, via ESPN. «It could have been a big, big one today. And it’s definitely something that needs to be discussed (sic). It’s something we don’t want to see.»
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Esteban Ocon prepares to drive during the Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix at Baku City Circuit on April 30, 2023, in Baku. (Mario Renzi – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Ocon pit to comply with the Formula One requirement on the use of two different types of tires during a race. It seemed that the photographers were preparing for Sergio Pérez to enter and celebrate his victory over Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.
«I don’t understand why we are starting to prepare for the podium and prepare for the ceremony while we are still racing. There is still one lap to go, there are still people who did not pit. I am reaching 300 kph, I am braking very late, I see people around Ocon added.
Ocon admitted that if he doesn’t hit the brakes, «it’s a big disaster.» He called on the FIA to take measures so that members of the media, or anyone else, are not leaked on the road before the race is over.
«The stewards heard from the FIA representatives and determined that the relevant representatives took steps to set up the parc fermé area and also allowed the media and other personnel to gather at the start of the pitlane and pitwall during the last lap of the race. race, while the pitlane was open and before Ocon’s final pit stop,» the FIA explained in a statement, via Autosport.
GRAND PRIX PRACTICE SESSION STOPPED AFTER PIERRE GASLY’S ALPINE CAR CATCHED ON FIRE
Alpine driver Esteban Ocon during the Formula One Grand Prix at the Baku circuit in Azerbaijan on Sunday, April 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)
«We realized that it was not unusual for representatives to allow such people into the pitlane just before the end of the race, in the usual course of preparation for the parc ferme and podium ceremony.
«However, in this case, there was a driver who had to pit on the last lap and this created a very dangerous situation for those in the pitlane at the time.»
The sport’s governing body added that it was «fortunate» that there were «no serious consequences» for the incident on pit road.
«We reviewed the relevant procedures and protocols in detail with the FIA representatives and required them to take immediate steps to reconsider these procedures and protocols with relevant stakeholders (including FOM, teams and FIA) to ensure that this situation does not happen again,» the organization added.
«The FIA representatives expressed their regret at what happened and assured us that they would do so in time for the next event.»
Alpine’s Esteban Ocon before the race. (Reuters/Maxim Shemetov)
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Perez earned his second win of the season in four races.