Baku stewards summon FIA personnel for pit-lane near miss with Ocon

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The Azerbaijan Grand Prix stewards have summoned to Race Control FIA personnel responsible for Parc Fermé for allowing a group of people to gather in the fast lane of the pit lane on the final lap of the race.

The danger of the situation was heightened by the fact that Alpine's Esteban Ocon entered the pitlane to make his single pit stop f the day.

Ocon and his team had opted to run a race-long stint on the hard tyre, betting on a late Safety Car that would have delivered a free stop to the Frenchman.

Unfortunately, no neutralization was forthcoming which forced Ocon to pit on the final lap of the race for his mandatory second set of tyres.

Read also: Perez too quick for Verstappen to handle in Baku

However, the Alpine charger entered the pit road only to stumble upon a group of people, including the FIA's official photographers, gathered on the fast lane.

It was a close call as far as Ocon was concerned.

"Yeah, not something that we want to see," he said after the race.

"I mean I don’t understand why we are starting to prep the podium and prep the ceremony while we are still racing.

"There’s one lap to go, there’s still people that didn’t pit, I guess Nico [Hulkenberg, who was on the same strategy as Ocon] didn’t pit at the time.

"I’m arriving at 300kph, braking very late and I see the people around, this is crazy, it could have been a big, big one today.

"It’s definitely something that needs to be discussed. It’s something we don’t want to see."

The FIA stewards subsequently summoned "representatives of the FIA responsible for the parc fermé area at pit entry" to meet them at 5:30pm local time over "personnel blocking the fast lane in the pit lane on the final lap of the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix while the pit lane remained open."

Speaking to Sky Sports at the end of the race, Red Bull team boss Christian Horner had witnessed the incident and said that it required "a review".

"Esteban’s within his rights to pit on the last lap and finish the race in the pit lane, I think, if he wanted to," Horner explained. "The FIA needs to perhaps police a little better before the end of a race."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.