One of the most shocking incidents in Formula 1 involving Kimi Räikkönen occurred at the 2018 Bahrain Grand Prix, when a pit stop went horribly wrong and left a Ferrari mechanic seriously injured. At the 1xBet platform punters can also make sport betting Zambia on Formula 1 events too
During the race, Ferrari called Räikkönen into the pits for a tire change. However, a miscommunication and a system error led to a dangerous situation. Ferrari’s pit stop procedure was governed by an automated light system rather than a traditional lollipop sign. If you like Formula 1, you can try 1xBet Zambia for making sport betting on this discipline too.
What exactly happened
When 3 out of 4 tire changes were completed, the system mistakenly registered the stop as finished and switched the light to green. Believing he was cleared to go, Räikkönen accelerated away. Unfortunately, the left-rear tire had not yet been changed, and mechanic Francesco Cigarini was still positioned beside the car. If you explore the sports betting app from 1xBet, you will also see that it is possible to wager on Formula 1 on the go too.
As Räikkönen pulled out, the rear wheel struck Cigarini’s leg with full force, knocking him down instantly. The gruesome impact broke his tibia and fibula, causing visible distress in the Ferrari garage. Räikkönen stopped the car almost immediately when ordered by the team, but the damage had already been done. Ferrari is a team where plenty of betting can be made at the sports app from the 1xBet platform.
The incident forced him to retire from the race, while Cigarini was quickly attended to by medical staff and later taken to a hospital for surgery. Thankfully, his recovery was successful, and he returned to work with Ferrari after rehabilitation.
When safety measures failed
The accident sparked significant debate about pit stop safety in Formula 1. What is absolutely safe is to play the online slots Zambia from 1xBet before the next Formula 1 race too.
Critics argued that teams had become too focused on achieving record-breaking pit stop times, sometimes under 2 seconds, at the expense of safety. During that very short time some tasks that can be done are:
- wing adjustment or replacement;
- clean the driver’s visor and mirrors if necessary;
- and of course, change the 4 tires;
In Ferrari’s case, the reliance on a fully automated light system without a manual double-check proved costly. Afterward, the FIA reviewed pit procedures, emphasizing stricter checks and ensuring that no car could leave the box unless all tires were properly fitted. While waiting for the next motor sports event, the 1xBet Zambia has lots of online slots that can be tried too.
