Formula One news: Pierre Gasly avoids historic suspension for crash

Alpine driver Pierre Gasly’s avoidance of a historic suspension has prevented an Aussie from joining Oscar Piastri on the Formula One grid.

JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA – MARCH 17: Jack Doohan of Australia and Invicta Virtuosi Racing (14) prepares to drive during practice ahead of Round 2: Jeddah of the Formula 2 Championship at Jeddah Corniche Circuit on March 17, 2023 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Australia very nearly had two drivers set to feature on the Formula One grid later this month after Alpine star Pierre Gasly avoided a historic suspension following the Australian Grand Prix.

Alpine’s Aussie reserve driver Jack Doohan was on standby to be called upon by the team to sit in the seat for incumbent Gasly if he was hit with penalty points for his involvement in the crash that left he and teammate Esteban Ocon out of the race at Albert Park.

The Alpine duo were set for a double points finish in Melbourne before coming together during the second red flag restart and crashing into the wall.

Footage of the incident appeared to show Gasly rejoining the race and causing the collision with his teammate.

Both drivers were summoned to the stewards after the race where it took more than four hours to determine neither was at fault for the crash.

There were fears Gasly would be slapped with two penalty points – just as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was after running up the back of Fernando Alonso – which would have forced him to miss the next race in Baku.

Pierre Gasly has avoided suspension for his crash. (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images)

Under the Formula One penalty points system, a driver will incur a one-race suspension if he accrues 12 or more points within a 12-month period.

Gasly entered the 2023 season on a tightrope, carrying with him 10 points that he needed to nurse through until May.

If stewards had ruled he was culpable for the contact with Ocon, Gasly would have become the first driver to be suspended under the penalty points system.

Instead, the Frenchman was spared the ignominy of an unwanted Formula One first.

It puts further spotlight on the decision to penalise Sainz, given the Spaniard’s incident occurred at the same moment as Gasly and Ocon.

Aussie Jack Doohan would have stepped in for Gasly. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Sainz also served a post-race five-second penalty, which meant he plummeted from fourth to 12th.

If Gasly had copped the same treatment as Sainz, it would have meant Doohan – as Alpine’s reserve driver – would be called in to take his place for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on April 30.

The 20-year-old son of five-time MotoGP world champion Mick Doohan was very nearly catapulted into a shock Formula One debut.

Instead the Formula Two world championship hopeful will have to wait a little longer to get his chance, which could still come if Gasly missteps before the first of his 10 penalty points are rubbed off in May.