Max Verstappen and Lando Norris agreed on Sunday’s hot topic (Image: Getty)
and brushed off concerns about the recovery vehicles used to remove ’s stricken car from the racetrack after the driver crashed his AMR24 machine on the exit of Turn Seven. On traditional purpose-built racetracks, the marshals use specialist cranes to take cars away from the track after incidents, but the circuit design restrictions imposed by street tracks make this impossible.
Instead, commercial lorries are used to withdraw damaged vehicles. After a lorry emerged on the track to rescue Alonso’s wrecked Aston Martin car, Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft announced his distaste for the practice. The Brit cited safety concerns, which have intensified since the death of Jules Bianchi, who passed away from injuries sustained in a collision with a recovery vehicle.
However, these were much different conditions and the drivers were touring the circuit at much slower speeds under the safety car. Verstappen pointed this out when asked about the debate during the post-race press conference.
“Yeah, I think it was all fine,” the four-time world champion said. I mean, if you crash into that, behind the Safety Car, then you’re really stupid.” Norris then added: “You shouldn’t be in Formula One [if you crash in those conditions].” This opinion was also backed up by .
The presence of recovery vehicles on track has been an ongoing topic of debate in the paddock. There was uproar among the drivers after the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix after narrowly avoided a collision with a tractor during a safety car period.
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David Croft was unimpressed with the safety standards in Australia (Image: Getty)
Following the deployment of the safety car for a second-lap crash involving , the two large recovery vehicles were deployed to retrieve the machine. Due to the extreme spray in the wet conditions, Gasly couldn’t see the tractor until the last moment, but thankfully avoided a collision.
“We lost Jules eight years ago in similar conditions, with a crane on track or in the gravel,” said an incensed Gasly after the chequered flag. “I don’t understand how eight years later, in similar conditions, we can still see a crane, not even on the gravel, but on the racing line.
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“And it is just not respectful towards Jules, towards his family, towards his loved ones and all of us. It was a dramatic incident, and I think on that da,y we learned we don’t want to see any tractors in this kind of conditions.
“If I would have lost the car in a similar way as Carlos lost it on the lap before… I was doing 200 kph, but it is not the matter, even 100 kph, if I would have lost it and a 12-ton crane, if I hit it, I would’ve been dead right now.”