F1 Azerbaijan GP: “If they don’t take action, I will speak to them,” Esteban Ocon demands stern actions from FIA over last lap pit-lane drama

Esteban Ocon was involved in a dangerous incident on the last lap of the race while entering the pits.

F1 Azerbaijan GP: “If they don’t take action, I will speak to them,” Esteban Ocon demands stern actions from FIA over last lap pit-lane drama

Esteban Ocon via Irish Mirror

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a rough one for Alpine and Esteban Ocon, who endured a weekend that was far from ideal. The Frenchman only managed to cross the line in 15th place, finishing just behind his compatriot Pierre Gasly. This rounded off a poor weekend for the French outfit as a whole, who will look to return to being the quickest in the midfield as soon as possible.

It was a last-lap incident that was most notable in terms of Ocon’s race, however. The Frenchman had to come into the pits on the very final lap to complete his mandatory pit stop. However, he was met with a large group of marshals and personnel who were on their way to ready the podium and the celebrations that accompany it. He decreased his speed to the mandated 80 km/h. It was still a close call, with several people jumping out of the way at the last second.

YouTube video

When questioned about the incident in his post-race interview, Ocon said, “I don’t understand why we’re starting to prep the podium and to prep the ceremony while we’re still racing. It could have been a big, big one today. It’s definitely something that needs to be discussed. We don’t want to see this thing happening, I’m sure the FIA have seen it and they will take action. If they don’t take action, I will speak to them.”

Ocon is justifiably furious at the procedures deviating from the norm, jeopardizing lives. It was a very close call, and the sport could have endured great scrutiny had he not slowed down in time or had the marshals not gotten out of the way. The procedures must be reviewed by the FIA, and see that they must be strictly adhered to.

Related: F1 Azerbaijan GP: Charles Leclerc acknowledges Baku as a “step forward” but not satisfied with just pole positions

The FIA has issued a statement in response to this issue

The dangerous incident, via Evening Standard
The dangerous incident, via Evening Standard

After the dangerous, life-threatening incident that occurred on the final lap of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Esteban Ocon publicly demanded that the FIA review the proceedings and take appropriate action in response. A few hours after the race, the FIA looked at the incident and issued a statement regarding the investigation.

According to the FIA’s investigation, setting up the Parc Ferme just before the end of the race is not an uncommon practice. However, it was deemed inappropriate in this instance as there was one car yet to pit, and this action led to a perilous situation. This action created a hazardous situation that should have been avoided.

The exact statement said, “The Stewards heard from the FIA representatives and determined that the relevant representatives took steps to set up the parc ferme area and also permitted media and other personnel to gather at the start of the pit lane and the pit wall during the last lap of the race, while the pit lane was open and before the final pit stop of OCO (Car 31),”.

“We noted that it was not unusual for the representatives to allow such persons into the pit lane just before the end of the race, in the usual course of preparation for parc ferme and the Podium ceremony. However, in this case, there was one driver that had to pit in the last lap, and this created a very dangerous situation for those that were in the pit lane at the time.”

The governing body discussed the relevant procedures and protocol with the representatives of the FIA thoroughly and instructed them to take immediate action to review these procedures and protocols with all relevant parties, including FOM, teams, and the FIA. The objective is to prevent the recurrence of this incident in the future. The FIA also expressed their regret and assured a repeat would not occur.

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