FORMULA ONE race organisers at the United States Grand Prix have been slapped with a £416,000 fine after a serious breach of safety.
Charles Leclerc took the chequered flag in the race as Max Verstappen extended his driver’s championship lead over Lando Norris after the Brit was hit with a controversial late penalty.
US GP organisers have been hit with a £416,000 fine by FIA chiefs[/caption]
It comes after around 200 fans managed to access the track while cars were still on it[/caption]
Charles Leclerc won the Austin race[/caption]
However, during the cool-down lap as drivers took their cars back to the pit lane there was a massive breach of safety.
It came as around 200 spectators in the grandstand were able to access the track and go straight onto the main straight.
An FIA statement explained that spectators had climbed a small fence before dropping two metres to the ground between the track debris fencing and the grandstand.
The fans had then gone under the debris fencing and climbed over a one-metre-tall trackside wall.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
Motorsport bosses deemed this to be a breach of the sporting code with a “failure to take reasonable measures thus resulting in an unsafe situation”.
Consequently, organisers were hit with a £416,000 (€500,000) fine and asked to deliver a plan to the FIA for how future incidents of a similar nature can be prevented.
However, because this was the first occurrence of its kind in the 12-year history of F1 at COTA, £292,000 (€350,000) of the fine was suspended.
BEST FREE BET SIGN UP OFFERS FOR UK BOOKMAKERS
The condition of the suspension is that a similar incident does not take place again before December 31 2026 at any FIA Championship event.
It was noted how actual plans in place for track incursions in Austin, Texas, had actually been “well implemented”, but that there had been a number of such incidents in recent times.
The statement added the money paid out would go towards motorsport safety.
The Australian Grand Prix was also hit by a fine for a fan invasion last year.
F1 2025 grid
Here are the confirmed driver line ups for the F1 2025 season so far:
Red Bull: Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez
Ferrari: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli
McLaren: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri
Aston Martin: Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll
Williams: Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz
Sauber: Nico Hulkenberg and TBC
Alpine: Pierre Gasly and Jack Doohan
RB: Yuki Tsunoda and TBC
Haas: Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon
F1 reporter Isabelle Barker’s prediction
I EXPECT Max Verstappen to go all guns blazing over the next six-rounds. I also think his experience and aggression could give him the edge.
It seems too little too late for Norris showing consistency, despite that dominant win in Singapore last time out.
You can’t help think what could have been had he sorted out his first-lap issues sooner.
Norris needs to prove he has the mental fortitude, because we all know he’s got the speed, the team and the fastest car.
Verstappen has endured an eight-race winless streak, but he has still managed to score points, with three second-places during that time.
So I think the Dutchman will lift his fourth world-title this season, by the skin of his teeth.
