The promoter of the United States Grand Prix has been fined half a million Euros (£416,000), 70 percent of which has been suspended, after fans entered the track during the cool-down lap.
The stewards noted track invasions have become an increasing problem at circuits during recent seasons. Last year the Australian and Brazilian grand prix promoters were also sanctioned for similar incidents.On this occasion the stewards found “a large group of spectators, estimated at approximately 200 people, in the grandstand alongside pit straight, climbed a small fence and dropped around two metres to the ground between the grandstand and the track debris fencing.
“They then went under the debris fencing and climbed over the trackside wall (approximately one metre high) and then merged onto the main straight. All this occurred whilst the competing cars were still on track completing their cool down lap after the chequered flag.”
The stewards agreed the promoters had a safety plan in place to allow spectators into the track at the appropriate time and stated it “was actually well implemented.”
“However notwithstanding [this], the incursion occurred due to the failure to identify a potential incursion area that was not addressed in that Safety Plan,” they added.
The stewards took into consideration the fact no other invasion has occured at the track since F1 first visited it in 2012. Partly because of that, €350,000 of their €500,000 fine has been suspended until the end of 2026 “on the basis that between now and that date, there are no further track incursions at this circuit during any FIA championship event.”
The promoter is also required to submit a remediation plan to the FIA.
“There have now been a number of track incursions in recent times and that the safety of the public is of paramount importance to the sport,” the stewards added.
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EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
21st October 2024, 3:00
Without knowing the full details at a level which I am simply not going to put the time in to appreciate or understand, my opinion doesn’t count for much. But if people want to get on to the track, they are going to get on to the track.
I know in this day and age it is requisite to protect people from themselves (which I have mixed feelings about) but if the organizers have taken anything close to reasonable precautions, then it should just be a point to note that should be addressed for the next race. Or maybe they should just fine the spectators concerned $2500 each.
Nick T.
21st October 2024, 10:00
Yup. It is quite literally impossible to ensure no one gets onto the track with a miles long perimeter and 200,000+ people if a lot of people in the crowd are highly motivated. It is societal etiquette/norms that sees no fans get on the track in some places. That and draconian “laws” in places like SA and China where you’re literally putting your life at risk.
Anthony Tellier
21st October 2024, 10:11
Texans! Surprising no one was shot!
Nick T.
21st October 2024, 10:48
Fernando was wounded and penalized 20-seconds for forcing a bullet onto to the track.
AlanD
21st October 2024, 16:00
“It is societal etiquette/norms that sees no fans get on the track in some places”
Invading a track or a pitch is illegal in the UK, a criminal offense for all sporting events. The man who ran onto the pitch at Wembley a few months ago during the Champions League Final was arrested and held in the cells overnight, fined £1000, and banned from attending any football matches in the UK for the next three years. I don’t think that is Draconian.
Nick T.
22nd October 2024, 6:44
I heavily implied the West doesn’t have draconian laws, which means fans are less scared of the consequences. Also, the UK’s social etiquette for sporting events doesn’t make running onto the track after an event unthinkable (and it shouldn’t be unthinkable). As for the football pitch aspect, I don’t have an opinion one way or the other due a lack of intimacy with how often it happens and results in injuries or worse. I know the UK has had some problems with crushes at packed football stadiums.
Jere (@jerejj)
21st October 2024, 7:18
Once again, an unnecessarily excessive fuss over something that causes zero safety risk when no one’s driving fast anymore, not to mention as everyone had already passed the chequered flag, no one was going to arrive on the S/F straight again, so even close encounters weren’t going to happen anymore.
Nick T.
21st October 2024, 9:55
It’s pathetic. Just like how they’ve cracked down on smoke bombs so much that I didn’t even see one at the Dutch GP this year. Just like with their overly cautious approach to wet weather and cars safely off the track (not referring to GR BTW), they’re sanitizing and mickey mousing F1 to death.
Circa $600,000 is a ridiculous sum. This sounds like it is driven as much by greed as it is safety. I hope the promoters challenge it. My money would be that they arbitrate this behind closed doors.
AlanD
21st October 2024, 16:13
“Just like how they’ve cracked down on smoke bombs”
Those smoke grenades are far from harmless. The chemicals they release are far from pleasant and the nanoparticles can damage the throat and irritate the eyes. They burn at a high temperature, are difficult to extinguish, can easily cause burn injuries if they come into contact with people If they roll under the seating they can start fires. Smoke bombs have no place in sports stadiums.
Nick T.
22nd October 2024, 6:48
A track is not a sports stadium. It’s well ventilated and lasts for all of two minutes at the start and/or after the race. No one is going to the hospital due to a smoke bomb at an F1 event.
MichaelN
21st October 2024, 11:42
It’s irrelevant whether or not this particular instance was acutely dangerous.
Like all other hosts, the Texans agreed to to keep the spectators off the track. They failed to do so.
You’d think they’d have a better grasp on building fences given all their tough talk.
RBAlonso (@rbalonso)
21st October 2024, 16:30
I disagree.
I was at the Italian GP, sitting at turn 1 specifically so that I could be underneath the podium. It was a crush there was no other word for it. Thousands of people forced into tiny exits, and once one person is seen on the track the rest follow and the pushing is more intense. I was with my 2 brothers, sprinting through the woodland to get to the first open gate. Both are fit 6 ft men in their 20s. I’m 6’3. It was horrific, particularly in 32 degree heat. There were a number of young women and children who were being crushed and it was difficult to breathe for several minutes.
This is not the way a modern sports facility should be run. There must be a queueing format, there must be rules and they must be followed. Otherwise, it’s going to end up in a serious accident.
GT Racer (@gt-racer)
21st October 2024, 16:35
@jerejj An F1 car going ‘slow’ is still fast enough to do serious harm if it hits somebody.
I’ve seen people injured badly & even killed having been clipped by race cars going at the sort of ‘slow’ speeds they will be doing on cool down laps.
And also bear this in mind. If something was to happen then it’s the race organisers as well as the FIA, FOM/Liberty as well as potentially the driver & even team of the car that was involved that will be held liable by the likely legal action that would take place.
Nick T.
22nd October 2024, 6:46
Uh, no doy. My point was that it’s not hard to tell when it’s safe to cross the track during a safety car. If you’ve ever jaywalked after looking both ways on an empty street, that’s the literal equivalent and you’re living on the edge!
Simon
21st October 2024, 21:43
Rich, from someone who makes “unnecessarily excessive fuss” most days…
Nick T.
22nd October 2024, 6:46
Will your obsession with Jere ever stop?
scss (@scss)
21st October 2024, 9:01
Chickens leave the same moves in the barnyard.
Nick T.
21st October 2024, 10:01
This is nearly as ridiculous as fining drivers €50,000 for crossing the track during a safety car.
AlanD
21st October 2024, 15:40
When an F1 car is going “slow”, that’s still a lot faster than most people are used to, and it wouldn’t surprise me if some people think they could high-five a driver as they drive past. People can be injured by razor-sharp carbon fibre thrown up by the wheels, and people touching an F1 car before it has gone through the discharge cycle can receive a severe electric shock. So I don’t think it is an over-reaction to want to keep people off the track. There was also an issue a few years ago, cannot remember exactly who, where a car was swamped and some people were trying to pull pieces off the car as souveniers. That situation causes a nightmare for scrutineering. So like it or not, I think there are many good reasons for preventing track invasions.
Is the fine fair though? Well it is a known risk when you build a track, and you have take steps to prevent it. I expect they have plenty of fencing to stop people sneaking into the grandstands without paying and consider that fencing to be a part of the cost of putting on an event, so the same should apply to track fencing. The various insurance companies invovled will all have quoted based on the assurance that fans cannot get onto track. Agreed, someone can always scale a fence and that’s hard to prevent, but a mass invasion means many people did it without any forethought, because others were doing the same and thought it was allowed.
After the track invasion earlier this year in Canada, as well as incidents in Australia and Brazil, the FIA made it very clear that there would be consequences for the operators if they didn’t prevent track invasions. This is already the norm in other sports. In the UK, football clubs are fined for mass pitch invasions. Mansfield Town FC, when they won their championship in the fourth tier of English football earlier this year, were fined £10,000 for the large pitch invasion at the end of the match, and last year, Luton FC, in the third tier I think, were fined £35,000 for a similar incident. So I think the US fine for the pinnacle of motorsport is not unreasonable at all.