F1 Community Comes Together to Mourn the Loss of Hundreds After Turkey Tragedy

The F1 community seemed quite busy with the car launching events when some terrible news reached them. Early on Monday, a strong 7.8 magnitude earthquake shook large portions of Turkey, demolishing hundreds of buildings and killing more than 1500 people, according to the latest reports. The F1 fraternity has joined together to express their condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives.

For the sport as well as the fans around the world, Turkey has been a special site. With the Turkish Grand Prix serving as the COVID-19 pandemic’s homecoming event, the country stepped in to help Formula 1 complete its schedule. Not only that, but the Circuit is where Lewis Hamilton tied the record for most championship titles (7) with Michael Schumacher.

The incident that occurred at midnight stunned the whole F1 fraternity. Major aftershocks continued to tremble the area after the earthquake, which was centered at the south of Turkey.

In terms of destruction, around 1500 persons have been reported dead and even more have been seriously injured. Regarding historic buildings, the more than 2200-year-old Gaziantep Castle has collapsed. The F1 CEO, Stefano Domenicali, was visibly astonished as he posted on Twitter.

Not only him, the FIA president, Ben Sulayem, has only shared his condolences.

And speaking of F1 drivers, Alpine Esteban Ocon was seen expressing his sentiments in reaction to the tragic event.

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As rescuers comb through piles of debris in towns and cities all around the region, the death toll is expected to rise. As a result of the region’s proximity to important fault lines, it often experiences earthquakes.

The Tragedy in Turkey stunned the Formula 1 community

In accordance with the United States Geological Service (USGS), the earthquake occurred at a depth of around 17.9 kilometers (11 miles). The Kahramanmaras and Gaziantep area was close to the epicenter of the 7.4-magnitude earthquake, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD). The destruction has startled and frightened F1 fans too

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, displayed some strength during this horrible period by posting a tweet. As per, ALJAZEERA, he wrote, “We hope that we will get through this disaster together as soon as possible and with the least damage.”

Given below are some of the reactions.

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Some of the spectators could be seen applauding the FIA president, while some of them also poked fun at Sulayem, who had previously forbidden the drivers from making political statements.

We send our condolences to the families of the deceased and our prayers to the injured.