Liam Lawson had to avoid two marshals sprinting across the track during Formula 1's Mexican Grand Prix in a frightening incident unseen by the TV broadcast.
Lawson was hit by Williams driver Carlos Sainz at Turn 2 on the opening lap, which necessitated a pitstop at the end of the first lap.
But soon after Lawson came out of the pits - with warnings of "debris on track" and double-waved yellows at Turns 1-3 - he encountered two marshals running across the track on the exit of Turn 1.
Images show the marshals holding pieces of debris when Lawson, who was separated from the rest of the pack on account of his early stop, arrived on the scene.
"Oh my god, are you kidding me?" Lawson told his team over the radio.
"Did you see that? Oh my god dude, I could have f***ing killed them."
After the race, having retired after three laps due to damage from the Sainz clash, Lawson told media including The Race: "I honestly couldn't believe what I was seeing but boxed and came out on a new set of hards and then I got to Turn 1 and there was two dudes just running across the track and I nearly hit one of them.
"It was so dangerous and obviously, there's been a miscommunication somewhere, but I've never experienced that before.
"I haven't really seen that in the past, so it's pretty unacceptable."
Asked if he would push for clarification of why that was allowed to happen, Lawson said: "Yeah for sure, we obviously can't understand how on a live track marshals can be allowed to just run across the track like that.
"I have no idea why, but I'm sure we'll get some explanation, but it really can't happen again."
The Race understands that FIA officials have talked to Lawson and apologised to him.
The Race has approached the FIA for comment.
