F1 track invasions: 20 years since the British Grand Prix priest

The country’s leading motor sport event is likely to be an irresistible target for Just Stop Oil activists, who invaded the circuit in 2022, and have already disrupted Wimbledon and the World Snooker Championship this year. “There is possibly quite a high chance of something happening this weekend,” said Williams’ Alex Albon ahead of the race.

Silverstone has recruited 100 extra marshals this weekend, partly to deal with the threat, but the difficulties of securing the circuit are obvious, with a capacity crowd expected on Sunday.

Last year’s protest was far from the first time that individuals have risked their lives alongside F1 cars, although the motivations and actions vary considerably. Scroll down for a rundown of previous grand prix track invasions.

 

2022 British Grand Prix track invasion

The protesters at the start of the GP. So crazy to see cars going by, so lucky we had the red flag #f1 #BritishGP #BritishGrandPrix #BritishGrandPrix2022 #SilverstoneGP pic.twitter.com/gVNq2LCVbT

— F1YEZ 🏁 (@F1YEZ_official) July 3, 2022

Last year saw the most recent example of a track invasion at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. Six climate protestors made their way on to the Wellington Straight during the opening lap of the race and sat down on the track, hoping to disrupt the start.

However, Zhou Guanyu’s enormous crash into Turn 1 brought out a safety car which slowed the grid before they reached the protestors, allowing marshals to drag the protestors off track in time. The alternative — of protestors on track as cars accelerated to 200mph — could have been disastrous.

The Just Stop Oil group has disrupted several high-profile events this year and Silverstone is anticipating a stunt at this year’s race.The circuit’s managing director Stuart Pringle has confirmed that there are extra plans in place to deter intruders.

 

2015 Chinese Grand Prix- FP2 track invasion

Perhaps the most bizarre example of a track invasion occurred during the second practice session of the Chinese Grand Prix in 2015. A local fan ran across the pit straight before jumping over the barrier into the pitlane and approaching the Ferrari garage. Reports say that he entered the garage waving his grandstand ticket, believing that he had paid for a go in an F1 car and that the Ferrari was his pick of the bunch. He was promptly detained by security and was unsurprisingly denied a test drive in his dream Ferrari.

 

2015 Singapore Grand Prix track invasion

2015 saw not one but two incidents of people making their way on to the track. After the the incident in Shanghai, another spectator decided to take a wander along the edge of the track during the Singapore Grand Prix later that year. Yogvatim Pravin Dhokia jumped over a barrier on the approach to turn 13 before running across the track in front of Sebastian Vettel whose Ferrari was barrelling towards him at 180 mph.

Dhokia made it across uninjured before walking further along the Marina Bay track and finding a gap in the fence and making his exit. His excursion brought out a safety car and Dhokia was promptly arrested and charged for disrupting the event.

 

2004 Spanish Grand Prix track invasion

Not all track invaders take their cause quite so seriously, as was the case with serial sports disruptor ‘Jimmy Jump’ who ran onto the circuit during the formation lap for the 2004 Spanish Grand Prix. Jimmy, real name Jaume Marquet i Cot, made a habit of disrupting sporting events in the early 2000s, including tennis matches and even the 2010 World Cup final. His unwanted appearance on the Catalunya circuit was swiftly ended by the trackside marshals allowing the race to start uninterrupted.

 

2003 British Grand Prix track invasion

One of the best-remembered F1 track invasions came in 2003, with that year’s British Grand Prix being disrupted by the laicised priest Neil Horan. Horan managed to enter onto Silverstone’s Hangar straight, dressed in a kilt and adorned in a religious banner. Unlike Sehli three years earlier, Horan actively ran into the path of oncoming cars as they approached at over 200 mph, forcing drivers to take avoiding action. He was tackled by marshal Stephen Green who dragged him off the track and out of harm’s way.

 

2000 German Grand Prix track invasion

Many of the track invasions of the past two decades have occurred as a form of protest, with one of the earliest examples coming at the Hockenheimring during the 2000 German Grand Prix. Robert Sehli, a disgruntled ex-Mercedes employee, took to the track mid-race in protest of his sacking. Wearing a raincoat brandished with anti-Mercedes slogans, Sehli walked across and along the circuit, waving to the crowd and mostly staying out the way of the oncoming cars.

A safety car was deployed and Sehli was taken away and later fined. However, he would go on to win a court case over his dismissal from Mercedes and would gain sympathy from then head of Mercedes motor sport, Nobert Haug, who described Sehli’s dismissal as “scandalous”.

 

1992 British Grand Prix track invasion

During the height of ‘Mansell-mania’ and after another dominant victory from the Brummie driver to claim his third and final British Grand Prix win, hundreds of fans stormed the track to get closer to their home hero. The images of Mansell’s victorious FW14 being swamped by his adoring fans are some of the most memorable to come from Silverstone but the jubilation nearly turned to tragedy.

As the other drivers swung around Woodcote to cross the line, the unexpected sea of invading fans forced some drivers into taking avoiding action. Damon Hill was amongst them, making his race debut for Brabham, and remembers the perilous end to the Grand Prix: “They saw Nigel cross the line and thought ‘we’re going to celebrate early’. And I saw this guy run out onto the track, right in front of my car.” Fortunately everyone escaped uninjured and in years since, tighter rules and security measures were installed to prevent this kind of mass invasion from happening again.

 

1987 British Grand Prix

The 1987 British Grand Prix goes down as a classic thanks to the memorable battle between the Williams pair of Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet. The home hero would go on to overtake Piquet for the lead and eventual victory with a brilliant and brave dive up the inside into Stowe corner.

Mansell would finish the race to secure his first win on home soil sending the patriotic English fans into rapture as hundreds of fans burst through the fencing and on to the track to swamp Nigel who had crawled to a stop after running out of fuel. However, this would not be the last time that a Mansell victory at Silverstone would lead to an invasion of hundred ecstatic fans on the track.