Carlos Sainz footage emerges from Mexican Grand Prix sparking fan worry for Ferrari star
An incident involving Ferrari star Carlos Sainz at the Mexican Grand Prix left F1 fans feeling concerned.
F1 preview: A lap at the Mexican Grand Prix
Formula 1 fans were left concerned for the safety of Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz after worrying footage emerged following the conclusion of the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday. The Spaniard finished the race after coming home in fifth position but F1 supporters sparked fears about his safety after noticing an issue with his headrest from onboard footage at the end of the race.
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In the short video clip, Sainz can be seen sitting stationary in his Ferrari F70 in the pit lane after the race had finished. But while other drivers can be seen walking around, the 27-year-old struggled - and eventually failed - to unlock his headrest.
The headrest, known commonly as the HANS (head and neck support) device in motorsport, is carefully designed to limit the impact of head trauma in the event of a crash. Drivers are required to practice removing the headrest when getting out of the car to ensure a quick getaway in case of an accident or fire.
And fans were left concerned as it appeared Sainz, who was not in any danger when the incident occurred, was unable to release himself from the cockpit. Even when help arrived in the shape of two Ferrari mechanics, the men found it difficult to unlock the pins that keep the headrest in place.
READ MORE: Leclerc and Norris among drivers concerned after Mexican GP briefing
The footage was broadcast on F1 TV, the general feed provided by F1 for viewers around the world, but appeared not to have been seen by Sky Sports F1 viewers after the race.
Having viewed the footage with some genuine concern, fans took to social media to register their fears about Sainz's inability to get out of the car and what could have happened if he had suffered another fire like he did during the Austrian Grand Prix.
One user @StillJoeHess wrote: "Frightening thought. Bit of a forgetful days for the red cars," while @ClipsRW said: "Imagine [if] that happened in Austria. Wow."
Another Twitter user, @GrantGT3Rs, tweeted: "Not good to see, if he had to get out quickly that might be the difference to life or death?"
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While it is understandable that questions should be asked about the safety of Sainz's car, drivers are able to extract themselves from the car without lifting off the headrest first.
However, this can take longer and the FIA's guidelines generally advise drivers to take off the car part first if possible.
Lewis Hamilton was once forced to pit from the lead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix when his headrest became partially unattached during a race, with the incident dividing opinion amongst the paddock. The Briton was unable to fix the issue while driving and was forced to fix it during a pit stop, with a team member putting it back into position.
Neither Ferrari or Sainz have publicly addressed the incident yet, but it remains to be seen whether the FIA will investigate if the part was tested and fitted correctly.
Instead, the Spaniard, who dropped to sixth in the Drivers' Standings behind Hamilton after coming home in sixth place, registered his disappointment with Ferrari's lack of pace.
“I think I drove a pretty good race but when you see the distance to the leaders there was not much more in it,” Sainz said.
“We know the compromises we had to take for this weekend, we knew going into the race that we were going to be slow, but we maximised the points that the car could take.
"At least on a positive note, we didn’t lose too much and we can focus on Brazil and Abu Dhabi where we expect to be back on the pace.”
