Formula 1 drivers say the sport needs to do more to ensure fans do not endanger their safety by throwing flares onto the circuit.
Two flares landed on the track during yesterday’s qualifying session at Zandvoort. At least one fan was ejected from the circuit for an incident involving a flare.
Drivers discussed the safety dangers of flares and the smoke they generate in the briefing ahead of this weekend’s race. Alpine’s Esteban Ocon said the brightly coloured smoke is “part of the atmosphere” but admitted “it’s not great to see [them] on the track.”
“Nothing should be thrown,” he stressed. “We’re driving at 300kph, so it could be dangerous to hit something through the straight line.”
Nicholas Latifi said the smoke created by flares has been a growing problem during races.
“Obviously we don’t mind it in certain situations. I would say specifically in qualifying and at the start of the races, even during the race is not the greatest.
“Spa was probably the first time, and I think a lot of other drivers commented the same, it actually confused whether there was a car off ahead of you or whether it was just an orange flare. Most of the time I find it is a very distinct orange, so you know that’s a flare, not gravel. But in Spa there was a few times I was like ‘has someone gone off in front and there’s just not a yellow flag?’ You don’t exactly know.”
The problem is more acute at Zandvoort, says Latifi, because the fans are much closer to the track.
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“It’s not ideal, especially on a track like this where everything is very close. At Spa, Red Bull Ring, everything’s so much further away from the track, the grandstands.
“So I think the fans need to behave a little bit because I remember at the last lap last year when they lit the flares, you couldn’t see anything in the chicane at the end. And again, if there’s still a race going on behind then, it could be quite dangerous.”
Fans were warned not to bring flares into the circuit ahead of the race. Latifi said it’s not realistic to ensure none of them bring flares in, but wants tougher action against those who do.
“Maybe there needs to be some, maybe not stricter security checks because you can’t security check 100,000 people properly, but stricter consequences if someone’s seen doing that,” he said.
Daniel Ricciardo agreed tougher action should be taken against those who throw flares onto the track. “I…
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