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Alpine Formula 1 drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly have been summoned to see the stewards following their clash at the end of the Australian Grand Prix.
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen slamming the wall on the exit of Turn 2 prompted a contentious late red flag and subsequent planned two-lap restart.
Follow reaction to the Australian GP – including Haas’s decision to protest the result – on The Race Live Hub
That restart proved to be utter chaos as Carlos Sainz collided with third-placed Fernando Alonso on the exit of Turn 1 while Gasly behind locked up and skated across the grass.
As Gasly rejoined the track at Turn 2 he was seemingly unaware that Ocon was to his right as he moved towards him and the duo collided.
Both drivers were eliminated on the spot having been on course to potentially get two cars well inside the points – Gasly had taken the restart in fifth place having kept pace with the Aston Martins and the sole Ferrari of Sainz all race long, while Ocon had fought his way back into the points before the restart having been eliminated in Q2 on Saturday.
Both Gasly and Ocon have been summoned to see the stewards to assess whether either driver caused a collision at Turn 2.
It puts Gasly at further risk of a race ban as he sits on 10 penalty points – two away from the tally that would trigger an automatic race ban.
He won’t drop points until he loses two after the Emilia Romagna GP at Imola in mid-May.
Gasly declined to discuss the incident after the race, giving one answer to the written media pack before departing.
“All I’m going to say is that today we didn’t expect to be fighting one Ferrari and to have Fernando and [Lewis] Hamilton in my sight for the majority of the race,” Gasly said.
“This was unexpected but I felt really comfortable in the car so there was definitely some really positive signs, I was comfortable in the car and things getting better every race.
“That’s really positive…nothing to mention about end of the race about red flag and restart. I’m just too disappointed to say anything and be looking at these guys finishing the race…”
