Sky Sports F1 chose not to air footage of a pit lane incident during their Saturday broadcast at the Austrian Grand Prix, deeming it too graphic for viewers.
The incident occurred during Friday practice at the Red Bull Ring, when Haas rookie driver Ryo Hirakawa took part in FP1 as part of the team’s rookie driver quota obligations for the season.
Hirakawa had stepped in for regular Haas driver Esteban Ocon at the Austrian Grand Prix, representing a significant opportunity for the Japanese racer to impress.
Towards the end of the session, Hirakawa came into the pits and struggled to stop his car in his designated pit box, making light contact with one of the Haas mechanics.
The mechanic stumbled from the contact but was able to get back to his feet, with other team members quickly rushing over to check on him and confirm he was unharmed.
Despite the relatively light nature of the contact, Sky Sports F1 decided to withhold the full footage from their broadcast, pausing the clip at the critical moment rather than showing it at full speed.
Presenter Natalie Pinkham addressed the incident live on air, explaining to viewers why the broadcast team had made the decision to stop the footage short of showing the full sequence of events.
“There was an incident in the pitlane yesterday (Friday), with Ryo Hirakawa who was sitting in for Esteban Ocon,” Pinkham said live on Sky Sports F1. “We’ve paused it here as when we run it at full speed – it is kind of graphic. But we’re delighted and relieved to say that the mechanic was totally okay.”
Hirakawa himself spoke to Sky Sports F1 and explained the button error that caused the terrifying moment in the pit lane for the Haas team.
“You know I’m very new to the car,” he told Sky Sports F1. “I thought I pressed the neutral button but I pressed the wrong button so the car went into anti-stall. The car just couldn’t stop. I just went to the guy after that and he was fine so that’s the most important thing.”
The incident highlighted the very real dangers that pit lane personnel face during race weekends, even during practice sessions when the on-track pace is typically lower than in qualifying or the race itself.
Hirakawa’s error was understandable given his limited experience with the Haas machinery, and his immediate concern for the welfare of the mechanic he had struck reflected well on the young driver’s character.
The Austrian Grand Prix weekend itself had already been eventful, with various incidents on and off track drawing attention throughout the proceedings at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg.