F1 Cars Forced To Swerve Around Protestors Who Ran Onto Track At British GP

A group of protestors stormed the track at the British Grand Prix, forcing F1 drivers to desperately swerve out of the way to avoid hitting them. 

Demonstrators made their way onto the Silverstone track amid the chaos of Zhou Guanyu’s crash on the very first lap. 

They were quickly dealt with by race marshals who dragged them away from danger, however, drivers such as Alpine’s Esteban Ocon came agonisingly close to danger at break-neck speeds.

Footage from Ocon’s cockpit shows the protestors being dealt with as he swerves in a different direction. 

Climate activist group Just Stop Oil is said to be responsible for the protests, however, they weren’t able to stall the race as it had already been brought to a halt after Zhou’s horror crash. 

There were dramatic scenes on the opening lap of the British Grand Prix as multiple cars were involved in the huge crash that forced a red flag to be shown just moments into the race.

With drivers told to proceed with caution, the protestors were lucky no one was driving full speed as they sat on the track.

The FIA confirmed the actions of the protestors in a statement, saying: “We also confirm that after the red flag, several people attempted to enter the track.

"These people were immediately removed and the matter is now being dealt with by the local authorities.”

Commentator Martin Brundle condemned the actions of the protestors on broadcast, saying: “Lucky escape, so stupid to come onto a racetrack."

Meanwhile, fans online were livid at the protestors and the timing of their protest just moments after a seriously horrific crash. 

One Twitter user wrote: “Can’t believe people are stupid enough to protest on a live F1 track. Wow."

Another said: "Great timing of a protest when a driver has just nearly been killed #F1."

While a third added: "Got to be a different breed of special to try protest on a live F1 track mind."

However, Just Stop Oil defended the actions of the protestors on their official Twitter account.

They said: “A group of supporters of Just Stop Oil have stormed the track at British GP 2022. 

“If you are more outraged about this disruption than our world being burnt before our eyes, then you need to get your priorities straight.”

Luckily no one, including Zhou in his horrific crash, suffered a serious injury in the chaos of lap one of the Grand Prix.

Featured Image Credit: @ScenarioSeven/Twitter. @MTaylorRacing/Twitter.

Topics: Formula 1, Australia

Jayden Collins

Jayden Collins is a Journalist at SPORTbible. He has worked across multiple media platforms in areas such as sport, music, pop culture, entertainment and politics. He is part of the editorial team for LADbible Australia.