SUMMARY
- The 2023 Australian Grand Prix opened a can of worms for the FIA amid growing concerns over track invasions.
- A few Grand Prix events later, Baku witnessed a similar incident take place in the pit lane.
Formula 1 has often witnessed thrilled fans waiting to watch their favorite drivers drive by or celebrate a podium. Podium celebrations have always been a part of F1. In some tracks like Australia and Monza, we have seen the fans flood the tracks whilst showing their support to the teams and drivers on the podium. Australia and Monza are some of the classic tracks with years of history attached to them.
The two tracks have held massive significance to the sport with Australian Grand Prix witnessing the most Ferrari wins on the tracks, similar to the Italian GP. While the two tracks have been timeless on the calendar, the many similarities between them were fans being allowed to crowd the tracks after the race. However, it seems it may not be the case for Australian fans anymore.
The FIA force rule change for the Australian F1 spectators
When it comes to motorsport the focus on the genius engineering that goes behind making an F1 car, it is understandable that the fans are always appalled to be anywhere close to the sport. Oftentimes, this has resulted in fans running onto the tracks as soon as the race finishes to enjoy the podium celebrations with their favorite teams and drivers.
However, the issue that came up last year was when the fans in Australia ran onto the tracks while the cars were still at the scene. The incident resulted in the spectators touching the Haas of Nico Hulkenberg which soon caused worry about the drivers and the race officials. Although the situation was rather an act of excitement, the safety precautions were completely overlooked by both parties.
❌ #F1 fans won’t be allowed on the track at the Australian Grand Prix after the 2024 race.
That’s following a review of last year’s invasion that centred around an “unsafe” Haas.
Reminder here ➡️https://t.co/JdZ1lrNIpmhttps://t.co/JdZ1lrNIpm
— The Race (@wearetherace) January 25, 2024
This caused the FIA to only recently look into the situation and understand the dangers of having fans run onto the course during an ongoing race. The “unsafe” incident was enough to worry the authorities for the safety of the public and the drivers. Although this is not the first time this has occurred, the FIA took matter sin their hands when the involvement of a car was mentioned.
The FIA has now ruled out that fans will not be allowed to cause a scene by running onto the course in Australia until they are given the green flashing light to do so. To keep the fans from maintaining a safe distance from the cars and getting seriously injured, the sport will ensure a better security protocol for the safety of the fans and the teams.
Esteban Ocon nearly crashes into fans in Baku pitlane
While there have been many instances that the fans have rushed out on the tracks to showcase their enthusiasm, it has seen moments that put not just the fans but the drivers in serious trouble too. One of the many incidents, among the times that the fans stole FIA equipment off the tracks, Esteban Ocon fell into a similar situation with the fans during a race.
The driver was ready to enter the pitlane after the team ordered to have the tires changed, Ocon entered the pitlane. However, it was when the driver was heading for his pitstop that he saw a few fans crowded right in front of him as he came in full speed.
Luckily, the people moved out of the way in time resulting in no tragic accidents. Although the situation did not escalate into something dangerous and tragic, it was enough for the authorities to take action for the safety of both parties.