'Crikey': Scary moment F2 driver runs over two marshals
Indonesian racer Sean Gelael will start Saturday's Azerbaijan Formula Two feature race from the back of the grid after sending two marshals sprawling to the ground in a bizarre qualifying incident.
Gelael, who drives for the Prema team in the Formula One feeder series alongside Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champion Michael, had stopped on track early in the session.
Não bastassem os problemas da #F1 no #AzerbaijanGP, aí vem Sean Gelael para mostrar toda sua capacidade e fazer um strike durante o treino livre da F2... pic.twitter.com/We8WJgJ7gN
— Grande Prêmio (@grandepremio) April 26, 2019
The driver was being pushed out of the way by the marshals, who were positioned in front of the rear wheels, when he jump-started his car.
The marshals escaped unhurt but Gelael was excluded from the rest of the session.
And it gets better today. Sean Gelael's just struck two marshals - not at high speed thankfully - while getting his car going again and knocked them over. They're back up and OK. But crikey.
— Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1) April 26, 2019
Stewards later gave the 22-year-old permission to start from the back of the grid.
Gelael’s incident was one of several strange incidents that characterised the opening day of track action at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Formula One’s first practice was abandoned when George Russell struck a loose manhole cover, destroying the floor of his Williams.
The mobile crane truck carrying his car back to the pits then struck the underside of a sponsor hoarding spanning the Baku street track, spilling fluid over the Williams.