Baku, April 28 (BNA): Pierre Gasly was in danger of missing out on qualifying for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Friday after his car caught fire, causing a red flag with what little practice time was available.
Gasly attempted to return to the pits with flames appearing in the back of the car before pulling up to the side of the track, the AP reports.
Thick black smoke billowed from under the Alpine hood as Gasly watched a group of track marshals put out the fire. They used several fire extinguishers, leaving the vehicle’s cockpit foaming.
It was another setback for Gasly after he collided with teammate Esteban Ocon during the final race in Australia.
The crash caused a red flag for about 13 minutes in the hour-long practice session at the Formula 1 weekend. The clock doesn’t stop for red flags in practice sessions, meaning teams lost valuable time perfecting their setups before qualifying later on Friday.