Xuenou > Sports > Pierre Gasly in hot water again at Sao Paulo Grand Prix as race ban looms
Pierre Gasly in hot water again at Sao Paulo Grand Prix as race ban looms
Pierre Gasly in hot water again at Sao Paulo Grand Prix as race ban looms,The AlphaTauri driver, who is just two penalty points away from being hit with a one-race ban, was summoned to the stewards following the sprint race at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Pierre Gasly in hot water again at Sao Paulo Grand Prix as race ban looms

Pierre Gasly is in real danger of being hit with race ban after being summoned to the stewards following the sprint race at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

The AlphaTauri driver went into the weekend with 10 penalty points, just two away from the number which triggers an automatic ban, which would be a real blow to the Frenchman, who will switch to Alpine for 2023.

Gasly is in more water after being called to the stewards for an “alleged failure to follow the race director’s instruction”. The probe covers driving unnecessarily slowly during the formation lap to the grid.

READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton under investigation as George Russell wins Sao Paulo GP Sprint

Penalty points do not drop off a driver's licence until a year after they were given, meaning that this weekend's grand prix is the first of nine races – spanning across this season and next – that Gasly will have the threat of the ban hanging over him.

Speaking at the start of the weekend, Gasly insisted the offences he has committed are not serious enough to warrant a penalty as serious as a race ban.

“I'm not going to lie, it's a very unpleasant situation and quite delicate, in some ways a bit embarrassing to be standing in a position where I could be banned for a race after the season that I've done,” he said.

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Pierre Gasly leads a gaggle of cars during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix sprint race (Image: Peter Fox/Getty Images)

“I don't really feel like I've been particularly dangerous over these last 12 months and that would definitely be a harsh penalty.”

Gasly finished 10th in the Sprint, which was won by the Mercedes of George Russell, who overtook world champion Max Verstappen. Struggling on the medium tyres – one of only two drivers to fit that rubber – Verstappen then lost a piece of his front wing as he was passed by Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari. He then lost third place to Lewis Hamilton, who will start second as Sainz will incur a five-place grid penalty following an engine change.

However, like Gasly, Hamilton is under investigation over a possible start procedure infringement amid suggestions the Mercedes began the race from outside his grid box.

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