F4 U.S. race red flagged after bus drives onto circuit

The second F4 U.S. Championship race at Circuit of The Americas was red flagged in the most bizarre circumstances on Friday, when a school bus - with only a driver aboard - drove onto the circuit at the end of the Esses section midway through the race.

Nobody was hurt in the incident, and no cars were damaged. The bus made no contact with any cars and was quickly hustled into a safe spot behind the barriers by circuit officials. Meanwhile, the full grid headed straight to the pits under safety car conditions and were parked while the bus was escorted to a safer place.

The race then resumed with just under 10 minutes remaining, Benjamin Pedersen eventually going on to win the race.

At the time of writing, it has not been made clear by the series, or the circuit, how the school bus was able to drive onto the live circuit. 

RACER understands that school buses are used to escort marshals across the track at the end of the race. It is therefore likely that the bus was dispatched early, before the race ended.