Gasly penalty backed by Schumacher as FIA launch speed investigation

Italian Grand Prix: Pierre Gasly reacts to winning his first title

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The decision to penalise Pierre Gasly for speeding whilst a safety car had been deployed onto the track at last week’s Japanese Grand Prix has been backed by Ralf Schumacher. Visibility played havoc at last weekend’s race, as five drivers were involved in incidents throughout.

Most notably Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was involved in a crash, as he skidded off the track and smashed into a barrier. Gasly was then caught up in the debris caused by Sainz’s collision and was forced to take a stop in the pits to have his car looked at.

When he returned to the track the Frenchman put his foot down in order to make up for lost time, but as he did a red flag was waved and the Alpha Tauri man came dangerously close to the recovery vehicle clearing up the mess made from Sainz’s crash. Following the near-fatal miss, Gasly was left angered by what had happened.

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Shouting down his team radio, the Frenchman said: “What is this tractor on track? This is unacceptable!” Following the chaos, Gasly was eventually sanctioned for his speed with a 20-second penalty which saw him finish in a disappointing 18th place, last of those who finished.

The decision to punish Gasly had split opinion with some, with many sympathising with the Frenchman for his near miss with the recovery vehicle. Former driver and brother of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, Ralf believes that, despite Gasly’s emotions riding high, his punishment was the right decision.

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In his Sky Germany column, Schumacher wrote: “The topic surrounding Pierre Gasly was highly emotional. I can understand the drivers’ criticism, they have indicated they don’t want to see any of these tractors while there are still cars on the track.

“Nevertheless, that doesn’t justify Gasly driving behind the field at 250 km/h at this point. This is anything but clever. I think both sides need to question each other.”

It was an eventful week for Gasly, after it was confirmed he would be joining Alpine for the 2023 season, replacing Fernando Alonso.

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