Gasly handed 20-second time penalty for Suzuka F1 red flag speeding

Gasly was summoned for a post-race hearing at Suzuka for allegedly reaching a speed over 250km/h under the red flag that was shown on lap two due to heavy rain and some on-track incidents.

Gasly was left fuming that a recovery vehicle was allowed to be on the circuit while drivers were out in the wet conditions, saying after the race: “If I would have lost it and hit a 12-tonne crane, I would be dead right now.”

The stewards’ summons noted that Gasly’s speeding occurred after he had passed the stationary recovery vehicle, which was tending to Carlos Sainz’s stricken Ferrari at Turn 12.

In a bulletin issued after the race, the stewards handed Gasly a drive-through penalty for the speeding, which is converted into a 20-second time penalty.

The AlphaTauri driver also receives two points on his FIA superlicence, taking him up to nine for a 12-month period.

“After passing the scene of the incident, car 10 continued under the red flag situation, at speeds which exceeded 200 km/h on multiple occasions, and which reached 251 km/h at one point,” said the stewards.

“The driver conceded that he now understood that there could have been marshals or obstacles on the track, and admitted that he was too fast.

“However, in mitigation of penalty, we take into account that although the speed could not by any measure be regarded as ‘slow’ as required in the regulations, it was slower that the maximum speed that could be achieved under these conditions.

“We also take into account the shock the driver experienced on seeing a truck on the racing line in the corner of the incident.”

The penalty drops Gasly from 17th to 18th in the final classification, giving a position to Haas racer Mick Schumacher, who was the final driver to cross the line.