F1 | Melbourne: fans banned from track after race

The 2023 Australian Grand Prix was without a doubt one of the most discussed of the season, especially for what happened in the final part of the race. The various red flags in the final laps in fact then played a decisive role in the major accident which involved several drivers at the restart, so much so that the race had to be suspended again after a few seconds due to the large quantity of debris left on the track.

However, another point of discussion was what happened after the checkered flag was displayed, when the safety protocols imposed by the FIA ​​were violated following the invasion of some of the fans while there were still cars on the track.

In addition to the obvious implications for the safety of the public, who could be hit by a moving car, the fans managed to reach Nico Hulkenberg's Haas, which was stuck on the side of the track following a problem with the MGU-K. The car had remained parked at the exit of turn 2 and had the flashing red warning light activated, signaling that it was in an unsafe condition with potential electric shocks, so much so that the German driver himself had been forced to carry out a “safe jump”, a jump procedure to get out of the car in specific situations.

Event organizers were asked to come up with a corrective plan after race stewards said “the safety measures and protocols required for the event were not enforced, resulting in an unsafe environment for spectators, drivers and the race commissioners”. It is not the first time that fans have invaded the Melbourne circuit in this way, with similar problems affecting the 2017 event. Given the danger of the situation, what happened had to be examined by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council, but since the issue is still ongoing between the organizers and the Federation, the decision has been made to impose a total restriction on fan access to the circuit at the end of this season's GP.

This marks the end of a long tradition in Melbourne of fans flocking to the track in time to join the podium celebrations, as happens at other tracks. The news was announced in a statement released Thursday by the Australian Grand Prix Corporation, which however specified that a long-term decision has not yet been made.

“The Australian Grand Prix Corporation advises that, given the ongoing FIA investigation into the anticipated track violation at the conclusion of the 2023 event, there will be no access to the track following the 2024 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix. The decisions relating to public access to the track at the end of future races will be taken at a later date.”

The problems involving the Australian round were not the only ones in 2023, as fans also entered Turn 1 after the checkered flag in Brazil. Race organizers have been asked to submit an action plan that satisfies the FIA ​​ahead of this year's race.