Esteban Ocon Hits Out At FIA After "Crazy" Azerbaijan GP Pit Lane Mix-Up: "Major, Major Incident"
Esteban Ocon's Azerbaijan Grand Prix turned out to be a rollercoaster of emotions. Starting from the pit line, the French driver made the bold decision to begin his race with hard tyres. As his strategy played out, he patiently waited for a potential red flag or a second safety car. However, this decision almost led to a disaster on the final lap.
On the final lap of the race, while the photographers and staff were already preparing the podium, Ocon entered the pit lane for his mandatory stop. This ended with a chaotic and dangerous situation, as the photographers were running across the pit lane.
In the post-race conference with the media, Ocon described the situation as "crazy," and one that no one would want to see again. He couldn't fathom why the workers were preparing the podium with one lap to go, given that the drivers were still racing in that pit lane. He explained:
"A crazy situation, really. Something we don't want to see. I don't understand why we were starting to prep the podium with one lap to go.
"We're still racing in that pit lane. I'm arriving at 300 kph, braking at the last moment, close to the line. I had to brake and avoid people.
"It could have been a major, major incident. It's something we don't want to see. It has been crazy in that regard. It is definitely something we are going to discuss."
As Ocon approached the pit lane at 300 kph, he had to brake at the last moment to avoid the workers, who were in the middle of the pit lane. The situation was perilous and could have resulted in a catastrophic incident.
Ocon's heart was racing as he described the moment as a scary one. He had control over his car, but he would not have wanted to be in the middle of the pit lane at that moment. It was an insane moment that could have been a major, major incident.
"It scared me. I mean, I am in control of the car, but I would not have liked to be the one in the middle of the pit lane there. Insane moment."