At the end of the Australian Grand Prix the stewards noted that they have “serious concerns” over the safety of spectators , after a large group managed to access the track while the race was still ongoing. Footage from the end of the race shows fans managing to access the circuit during the ‘cool down’ lap, while a number invaded the track at Turns 1 and 2 while recovery vehicles and Nico Hulkenberg’s Haas stopped with a power unit issue. Hulkenberg was advised by his engineer to do a “ERS jump” when getting out of his car as the red ERS high voltage light was on, meaning it posed a risk to anyone who touched it without electrical gloves. The FIA has e-safety guidelines in rallying for spectators, as they often help take part in vehicle recovery on a stage. This was introduced last year when the World Rally Championship made the switch to hybrid systems. E-Safety posters clearly stating “Look for the Green Light” appear around stages, to help spectators understand the precautions they need to take due to the high-voltage electrical current they can generate. Fans were also narrowly missed by the recovery vehicles crossing the track for both Logan Sargeant and Nyck de Vries’ cars. A marshal was fatally injured after being ran over by a recovery vehicle at the Canadian Grand Prix in 2013. The Australian Grand Prix Corporation has been ordered by the FIA stewards to investigate and produce a report, while it will also be referred to the World Motorsport Council for further investigations. 1642512717763289089 Fans are seen invading the track as the cars are still out on the circuit… 😬 pic.twitter.com/iI1dmg64Xv — RBR Daily (@RedBullUpdates) April 2, 2023 1642513061545230338 pic.twitter.com/VIQuaipqQF — RBR Daily (@RedBullUpdates) April 2, 2023 Video shows spectator track invasion during the third restart cleanup.
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