Pierre Gasly avoided spectacular 340km/h Baku F1 practice clash
Toro Rosso Formula 1 driver Pierre Gasly said he avoided a "spectacular" accident in Azerbaijan Grand Prix practice after an estimated 340km/h near-miss with Kevin Magnussen

Gasly was passed by Magnussen through the flat-out kinks of Turns 17, 18 and 19 in the opening practice session but drafted his rival back on the blast towards the start-finish line.
The two drivers ran side-by-side on the run down to Turn 1 with Gasly inadvertently squeezed towards the outside wall by the Haas.
They escaped without making contact and Gasly said: "Kevin overtook me as I was starting the lap, so I thought he was going to cool down the tyres [after crossing the line].
"He sort of pushed me out. It was quite dangerous.
"I don't know how much space we had between the two cars but at some point I thought he was almost going to take my front wing out.
"We are going at 340km/h [211mph], so sometimes it's good to leave a bit of space.
"We were quite close to having something spectacular."

Gasly spoke with Magnussen during the drivers' briefing, where he also talked to the other Haas driver Romain Grosjean after a similar incident.
Magnussen said he did not even know Gasly was alongside him, and Gasly admitted there was probably little that could have been done to avoid it.
"It was so difficult to know who was pushing, who was cooling down," he said.
"Baku is so special with the tyres, some people push many laps in a row, others push-cool-push, so we face a situation we don't really have on other tracks.
"When I saw both Haas coming behind me, first of all I gave them a tow - I could have backed out - I expected them to let me past straight after but they were pushing again.
"Maybe next time I can make sure they are far enough not to overtake me before Turn 1.
"For sure I'll try something different because it didn't work out for them or for me."
Grosjean said his incident with Gasly was caused by his compatriot not letting him past at Turn 15 or 16, which meant the Haas driver had to back off through the final kinks but still got ahead.
"I overtook him, he tried to overtake me back, but I was launching another lap," he said.
"I knew he was on the right-hand side, but I didn't know why he wanted to play, while he didn't let me by earlier."

Previous article
Sebastian Vettel says poor Baku F1 practice result his own fault
Next article
F1 drivers expect high winds in Baku to make race 'crazy'

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Drivers | Pierre Gasly |
Author | Valentin Khorounzhiy |
Pierre Gasly avoided spectacular 340km/h Baku F1 practice clash
Trending
Why Mercedes isn't confident it's really ahead of Red Bull at Imola
While Mercedes struck back against Red Bull by topping the times at Imola on Friday ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, the overall picture remains incredibly close. Despite having a possible edge this weekend, the reigning Formula 1 world champion squad is not taking anything for granted...
What Mercedes must do to keep its F1 title challenge on track
Mercedes may find itself leading the drivers' and constructors' standings after Lewis Hamilton's victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, but it is well-aware that it came against the odds, with Red Bull clearly ahead on pace. Here's what the Brackley team must do to avoid its crown slipping
Why Tsunoda can become Japan’s greatest F1 talent
While Japan's fever for motor racing is well-documented, the country has yet to produce a Formula 1 superstar – but that could be about to change, says BEN EDWARDS
Why the demise of F1's hypocritical spending habit is cause for celebration
For too long, F1's richest teams have justified being able to spend as much as they want because that's the way they've always conducted their business. STUART CODLING says that's no reason not to kick a bad habit
The double whammy that is defining Vettel’s F1 fate
It's been a tough start to Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin F1 career, with a lack of pre-season testing mileage followed by an incident-packed Bahrain GP. But two key underlying factors mean a turnaround is not guaranteed
The diva that stole a march on F1’s wide-bodied opposition
In 2017 new F1 technical regulations were supposed to add drama - and peg Mercedes back. STUART CODLING looks at the car which, while troubled, set the stage for the wide-bodied Formula 1 era
The themes to watch in F1’s Imola return
Three weeks is a long time in Formula 1, but in the reshaped start to the 2021 season the teams head to Imola to pick things up after the frenetic Bahrain opener. Here's what to look out for and the developments to follow at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix
The 'new' F1 drivers who need to improve at Imola
After a pandemic-hit winter of seat-swapping, F1 kicked off its season with several new faces in town, other drivers adapting to new environments, and one making a much-anticipated comeback. BEN ANDERSON looks at who made the most of their opportunity and who needs to try harder…