Ocon "reassured" over Miami F1 barrier changes after crashes

Sainz spun off the track at Turn 7 in Miami during second practice on Friday, hitting the concrete wall on the right-hand side of the track in an impact that left him suffering from some neck pain.

Despite Sainz’s suggestion in the drivers’ briefing that a TecPro barrier should be installed at the corner, FIA race director Niels Wittich took no action, leading to frustration when Ocon crashed at the same corner in qualifying with a 51G impact.

A number of drivers echoed Sainz and Ocon’s thoughts, expressing confusion over the decision not to make the barrier safer after the initial concerns were raised.

Speaking on Friday ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, Ocon revealed he had a chat with Wittich earlier in the week and was left satisfied the corner will be made safer when F1 returns next year.

“I had a chat with the race director yesterday, we had a one-hour chat to be fair on all of this situation and why it had not been explained,” Ocon said.

“They’ve had a lot of work done, [completing] analysis on the trajectory of both my car and Carlos’s car, and on what could have been the best solution.

“There will be changes on the track next year, on that regard for safety. Everything’s been listened, acknowledged, and action will be done.

“I was very reassured with the chat we had and very pleased with the outcome of it.”

Carlos Sainz, Ferrari F1-75, leaves his car at the end of FP2

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Sainz said after finishing third in Miami that he “couldn’t push 100%” towards the end of the race because of his neck struggles as a result of the accident.

He revealed in Spain that he thought the issue in his neck should be resolved for this weekend and that training had been going smoothly, but added that “you never know until you jump in a Formula 1 car”.

The topic is expected to be discussed in Friday’s drivers’ briefing in Spain. Sainz explained that he was told it was “a very freaky crash” as justification for not placing a barrier there, and that he wanted “a proper explanation” as to why no action was taken.

“We left the weekend with two drivers with a sore neck and nearly two broken chassis for a very slow crash,” Sainz said. “So there's definitely something to review.”