In the round-up: A group of six protesters who invaded the live track at the start of last year’s British Grand Prix have been sentenced after they were convicted of causing a public nuisance
In brief
Silverstone protesters sentenced for causing public nuisance
The six protesters – four men and two women, all aged between 22 and 47 – were handed either suspended prison terms or community service orders, the BBC reported.The group planned to invade the track on the opening lap of the race, breaching the circuit through security fencing along the Wellington Straight. Despite reaching the track before they were removed by marshals and arrested by police, the race had already been red flagged due to the violent start line accident involving Zhou Guanyu, George Russell and Pierre Gasly.
Two of the group of six had previously been convicted of causing criminal damage to a Van Gogh painting at a London art gallery last year.
McLaren company fined over worker’s death
David Oldham, 55, died after falling from the McLaren Brand Centre in October 2016 at a site in Maidenhead. The multi-storey structure served as the F1 team’s paddock base between 2007 and 2021.
The Health and Safety Executive reported McLaren Services Limited had been fined £650,000 and ordered to pay £110,132 in costs.
Iwasa takes F2 pole as Hadjar penalised
Red Bull junior Ayumu Iwasa will start on pole position for tomorrow’s Formula 2 feature race after securing pole position in qualifying.
In difficult wet conditions, Iwasa posted a best time of 1’45.118 to secure the top spot on the grid, with Theo Pourchaire starting alongside. Isack Hadjar was handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding Roman Stanek during qualifying.
Dennis Hauger will start on reverse-grid pole for today’s sprint race.
Bortoleto secures F3 feature race pole
Trident driver Gabriel Bortoleto secured his first FIA F3 pole position in qualifying at the Albert Park circuit.
The early championship leader, who won the opening feature race of the season in Bahrain, beat Gregoire Saucy to pole in a qualifying session heavily disrupted by red flags. Sebastian Montoya will start on reverse grid pole for this morning’s sprint race.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
Former F1 director Michael Masi reveals he was in 'turmoil' after Hamilton debacle (Daily Mail)
"When I stopped at the FIA, I told my parents, ''Those days are done for me''. I had told them after the Abu Dhabi fallout not to bother reading or watching anything. It's not healthy. The place can be a very toxic place. In many ways social media can be a great tool, but not so great in others."
Perez responds after accusations Verstappen’s dad snubbed Saudi GP victory (Independent)
"I have a good relationship with Jos. We respect each other. We know this is sport, and that is how we treat it. We shook hands but they probably didn’t show that. I saw a few things were written on social media, but sometimes people like to create stories that don’t exist."
Pirelli bekommt Konkurrenz: Bewirbt sich Bridgestone als Ausrüster? (Auto Motor und Sport - German)
Former F1 tyre supplier Bridgestone may be considering applying to become F1's exclusive tyre manufacturers from 2025.
Mike on... the Australian Grand Prix (Aston Martin)
"Two podium finishes in two races is a very nice way to start the year – but we must not get carried away. Let's not forget that 12 months ago, the last time we raced in Melbourne, we had one of our most difficult weekends. We've come a long way in a short space of time, and it shows how quickly things can change. If we get too ambitious, or if we lose a little bit of focus, then we don't improve. And in Formula 1, if you don't improve, you're going backwards."
Why Texas Motor Speedway Refuses to Give Up on IndyCar (Autoweek)
"We have a multi-year partnership. We are very excited and it all starts at the top of our respect for Roger Penske, what he has done for the sport, what he has done with Texas Motor Speedway, he's got a strong relationship with Marcus Smith and the Smith family. And so those two have continued that working relationship that Bruton (late Speedway Motorsports founder Bruton Smith) started, and we have a strong, strong partnership with them. And so we're excited."
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Bit of action at Turn 1. 👋 #yukitsunoda #f1 pic.twitter.com/yHIUV2dKlh
— Ryley McKay (@Ryleyjmckay) March 31, 2023
With a disrupted P1 and a wet P2 the teams have little useful race tyre data from today. P3 data often isn’t useful as the drivers are focused on Q (and there is still a risk of rain). So we could see teams learning a lot during the race as they rely heavily on pre event work.
— Bernie Collins (@bernie_collins1) March 31, 2023
|@LewisHamilton not got a clear run into his pit box due to an @AlpineF1Team team member: "Why is that guy just standing there."
"The Alpine guy? He's trying to cover the hose but he'd be better off pulling the hose back." #F1 #AustralianGP #RaceFans
— RaceFans Live (@racefanslive) March 31, 2023
Spending time with our fans. 💚
Earlier today we surprised lucky I / AM members with the chance to join us in our garage, see the #AMR23 up close, and spend time with the team including @1JessicaHawkins. pic.twitter.com/hSB0YD9VRS
— Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) March 31, 2023
.@JensonButton had plenty to say after the race Sunday. pic.twitter.com/NnW7nH9uiG
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 28, 2023
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
With Circuit of the Americas chief Bobby Epstein heralding the qualities his track has over the two other US venues on the calendar, reader Tim Wood offers a first-hand perspective…
For all of Epstein’s talk about COTA being ‘built for racing’ and ‘built for competition’, there really is a striking lack of racing going on there. So far, COTA has lost V8 Supercars, IndyCar, WEC, IMSA, the 24H Series, Creventic, GRC, and more, with some of them leaving before their contracts had finished. V8SC left after one race weekend. Now we’re left with F1, MotoGP, NASCAR, and recently-added SRO.
And regararding his boasting about ‘value for the spectator’s money, and having more support racing than Vegas, which has none, maybe he should look south of the equator to Australia: 15 races across four days. F1, four V8SC races, three Porsche Carrera Cup races, two F2 races, two F3 races, three Historic GP races, plus all of the associate practice and qualifying sessions for all.
THAT is value for the spectator, and in Australia, even with all of that action on tap, you can get a four-day GA pass for $100-150 less than the cost of three-day parking at COTA, and Oz throws in transportation to and from the circuit. Or if you want to sit in a seat, Melbourne’s most expensive grandstand seat is about $200 less than three-day GA at COTA. Their least expensive grandstand seat also costs less than three days of parking at COTA.
Amazing bang for the buck. I could get a round trip air ticket from Austin to Melbourne and a four-day GA ticket for only about $500 more than the cost of three-day parking and GA at COTA, which is 20 minutes from me. Come to think of it, I need to start planning that trip now.
Tim Wood
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Seymour!
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
1st April 2023, 0:24
Re: COTD
Very interesting perspective.
Whilst pricing is discussed in somewhat general terms now and then, such a direct comparison as this is quite eye opening. Whilst it would also be interesting to have a similar comparison for the whole season it probably would not be as easy to visualise the ‘value’ after similar descriptions of 3 or 4 events as it is for 2 events (at least for my weary old noggin). I guess there could be some form of rating per ‘aspect’ (e.g. races, concerts, parking costs, GA, etc) with an overall value for money rating, but it would probably get fairly subjective pretty quickly.
MichaelN
1st April 2023, 10:31
Absolutely, it’s a great post. I suppose in some sense it’s a question that all businesses have to contend with to some degree; do they focus on a few big events/clients at high prices, or a lot of smaller ones at lower prices. There’s not one right answer, and so long as COTA can fill the stands for the top prices they probably don’t care that others are refusing to go.
A few years ago I compared prices for the WEC and F1 at Spa-Francorchamps, and the difference was huge. But, the WEC race was sparsely attended and the F1 race had even the GA zones filled to capacity. So… they’d be silly not to ask those prices if people show up anyway.
davidhunter13 (@davidhunter13)
1st April 2023, 3:47
I’m all for protesting and it’s quite worrying how much the current Tory government want to completely eradicate it. However in this incident they did endanger their own lives as well as the lives of the drivers. Perhaps you can make allusions to the protests for women’s rights at the horse racing but it really was a poor decision. I’m glad they’re not being jailed though. The right to protest should be an absolute right. Anything else is fascism.
JossTheBoss
1st April 2023, 7:43
Are you having a laugh? Trespassing on a racetrack during an actual race has absolutely nothing to do with protesting.
Stoo (@stewart51)
3rd April 2023, 13:07
I agree wholeheartedly, I was born into a different time than this, and to me Protests should be made at the door of the FIA with placards, not track invasions which as you say endangered their own lives as well as the Marshalls and Drivers.
I think a lot of that behaviour says more about the pathetic characters who do it, for them it’s not about what they’re fighting for, it’s about ego and bragging rights, nothing more. It’s not a protest, it’s criminal and should be dealt with as you would any criminal damage …..
In fact I’d be happy that they should have been charged with attempted murder and a prison sentence to match !
THAT would stop dimwits like them, who would think twice about affirmative action before committing themselves to this kind of activity. If not then they’d know what will happen when they’re stopped.
Jere (@jerejj)
1st April 2023, 4:25
Two old matters, especially the one from October 2016, which I was unaware of until today.
So Hankook, Bridgestone, & possibly Michelin are all applying.
AlexS
1st April 2023, 10:34
As always the establishment protects its “protesters” so they get only a slap on the wrist.