Canadian Gp 2019 Controversy

Canadian GP Penalty Changed My Life, Says Pirro

2019 Race Remains Controversial

WEB | Saturday 13 June 2020 1846 UK

Former driver and current race steward Emanuele Pirro believes the controversy surrounding Sebastian Vettel's penalty at the 2019 Canadian Grand Prix was a life-changing event for him.

Vettel was handed a five-second penalty post-race for rejoining the track in an unsafe manner after running wide at the final corner on the last lap of the race. The penalty promoted Lewis Hamilton to victory and denied Vettel a first win of the 2019 Formula 1 season.

The decision was met with widespread criticism, and Pirro admits that he has been affected by the fallout from the incident.

"It was a very difficult decision to make," Pirro said. "I've been involved in racing for many years, and I've never seen anything like it. The reaction from the fans was very strong, and it was very difficult to deal with."

Pirro says that the controversy has made him more determined to ensure that Formula 1 is a fair and competitive sport.

"I'm not going to let this incident define me," Pirro said. "I'm going to continue to do my job to the best of my ability. I want to make sure that Formula 1 is a fair and competitive sport, and I'm going to do everything I can to make that happen."