Gasly punished for Hamilton incident

Joas van Wingerden

Friday 5 October 2018 07:27

Pierre Gasly was handed a reprimand after almost causing a big collision with Lewis Hamilton in first practice for the Japanese Grand Prix. The Toro Rosso man was moving slowly on the racing line, forcing the championship leader to take evasive action.

Stewards reported that Gasly "admitted that he impeded car 44 and acknowledged that he ought to have stayed on the right hand side of the track and had left it too late to move off the racing line".

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As the incident occurred in FP1, the stewards did not see reason to punish the Frenchman more harshly, but a second reprimand of the season puts Gasly on something of a tightrope.

Drivers who receive three reprimands in a season will serve a 10-place grid penalty – Gasly was punished earlier this year for his part in a first-lap collision with Esteban Ocon in the French Grand Prix.

If Gasly picks up another reprimand in a practice or qualifying session he will serve a grid drop at the relevant race. If another infraction follows in a race, he will serve the penalty at the next race.

Despite the scare, Hamilton was quickest in FP1 by almost half a second from team-mate Valtteri Bottas, with Mercedes looking strong once again in Suzuka, scene of Hamilton victories in three of the last four years.

VIDEO: Hamilton's scary moment with Gasly