“Expect the unexpected”, proclaimed the banners adorning the streets of Baku for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. An entreaty that proved to be wishful thinking at best for all but the final moments of the race, when a near-disaster in the form of an astonishingly dangerous incident proved as entirely unanticipated as it was unwelcome.
Sergio Pérez might have taken the win for Red Bull but the meeting was marked by the sight of personnel gathered in the pit lane scattering in panic as Esteban Ocon’s car bore down on them, putting Formula One and the FIA’s safety procedures under enormous scrutiny.
Ocon condemned what happened as a disaster in the making and demanded the FIA take action. “I’m arriving at 300kph, braking very late and I see the barriers, I see the people around, this is crazy. It could have been a big, big one today,” he said. “If I miss the braking point, it’s a big disaster. So a crazy moment. I’m sure the FIA has seen it and they will take action. If they don’t take action, I will go and speak to them.”
Such was the scale of the incident and its obvious danger that the FIA immediately launched an investigation and the FIA staff responsible for that part of the pit lane, the parc fermé area at pit entry, were summoned to the stewards.
The stewards concluded it was “fortunate” there were not serious consequences and have mandated the FIA to “take immediate steps to reconsider these procedures and protocols with the relevant stakeholders (including Formula One Management, the teams and the FIA) to ensure that this situation does not occur again”. The FIA has stated it will be updating its procedures before the F1 round in Miami next weekend.
In the race itself Pérez secured a dominant Red Bull one-two with his teammate Max Verstappen, after an unremarkable procession on the streets of Baku. With Red Bull’s race pace advantage they were untouchable out front once both drivers had passed the pole‑sitter, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who came third. The day looked to have belonged to Verstappen only for the world champion to be unlucky with the timing of a safety car. It gave Pérez a free stop, the lead and decided the race.
As they cruised to the line, a full 21 seconds up the road from Leclerc, a similarly seemingly innocuous conclusion was awaiting Ocon. His Alpine team had adopted a counter-strategy to the rest of the field, starting him on the hard tyres and leaving him out for the entire race without a pit stop. With one mandatory tyre change required they chose to pit him on the penultimate lap to carry it out. He duly turned into the pit lane and as he rounded the corner was confronted with an entry road crowded with photographers gathering to take pictures of the podium.
They were standing just yards past where Ocon hit the pit lane speed limiter as he entered but as he noted it was where he could have ploughed on at high speed had he missed his braking point, on what is known as the fast lane, where cars drive through the pit lane before peeling off into their garages.
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His onboard camera view was shocking. The people, mainly photographers, were left scrambling out of the way of his Alpine. It was a terrifying moment, with many clearly unaware a car was coming in on what was still a live race track. The sheer numbers present made it difficult for them to escape being struck as Ocon passed inches away.
There appeared to be no regulation of their presence and an apparent disregard for basic safety procedure on entering the pit lane while racing was still under way and it was widely condemned. Ted Kravitz, reporting for Sky Sports in the pit lane, was nearby and was clearly shocked. “What is this about? This is a shambles, an absolute shambles,” he said. “F1 had a lucky escape today.”
Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, was unequivocal that the FIA had to address the issue. “It needs a review because Esteban is within his rights to pit on the last lap and finish the race in the pit lane if he wanted to,” he said. “That’s something the FIA needs to police before the end of the race.”
The incident comes only a month after the FIA issued a clampdown on team personnel climbing the fence in the pit lane to celebrate, citing strict pit‑lane safety regulations that also apply in this case.
The incident overshadowed the race, which was notable only for the dominance Red Bull once more displayed. But Pérez’s win has at least kept the championship alive, albeit as the two-horse race it has clearly become.
Pérez has now closed the gap on Verstappen to six points. Claiming his second victory in four races is very much the confident and combative statement of intent the Mexican badly wanted.
He will remember fondly a faultless victory delivered with clinical precision. For the FIA the unexpected in Baku was very much the stuff of nightmares they cannot ignore.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was fourth and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz fifth. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were in sixth and eighth for Mercedes. Lance Stroll was seventh for Aston Martin, Lando Norris ninth for McLaren and Yuki Tsunoda 10th for AlphaTauri.
