Silverstone protesters charged with endangering F1 drivers and marshals

Protesters who entered the circuit during the 2022 British Grand Prix have been charged with causing a life-threatening situation. Prosecutors argued that their action put Formula 1 drivers and marshals in immediate danger.

Just Stop Oil protesters walked onto the track on the first lap of the race at Silverstone, but the protest did not get the attention that might have been hoped for. Indeed, the race was stopped shortly after the start due to the heavy crashes of Guanyu Zhou and Alexander Albon, involving several drivers.

A red flag soon followed and so the F1 drivers set course for the pit lane. The slow pace possibly prevented the cars from colliding with the protesters, who had taken seats on the normally fast Wellington Straight. Nevertheless, according to prosecutors, the action was so dangerous that the protesters endangered the lives of others with it.

According to prosecutor Simon Jones, who opened the case on Wednesday, there is no doubt that there was "risk of serious harm". "Plainly they could have been struck by fast-moving vehicles with obvious severe consequences," he is quoted by Sky Sports as saying. The prosecutor believes the protesters thereby put not only themselves but also the drivers and marshals in immediate danger.