Organisers of the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix have pleaded with fans to adhere to the rules at this year’s event following a serious security breach last year.
This year, spectators are not permitted on the Albert Park circuit following the conclusion of the grand prix.
That is a result of the ongoing FIA investigation into last year’s event, where some spectators breached security fences and others entered the race track while the circuit was still live.
A report was presented to the sport’s governing body last year, though the Australian Grand Prix Corporation has not received an outcome from the FIA.
In the face of that, precautions have been taken for 2024 which include banning fans from entering the track after the race.
Around the venue, taller fencing has been erected strategically to dissuade spectators from gaining access to restricted areas, among other strategies.
“There’s been a number of changes made to the way the fence lines work,” explained AGPC chairman Martin Pakula in the lead-up to the event.
“The most significant change, though, is the track walk that normally happens after the last cars are in, which is what should have happened last year, is not proceeding this year.
“So we’ve made it very clear to fans that that’s a decision for 2024.
“I expect that a number of passionate race fans will be unhappy about that. We understand that,” he added.
“But we are still in the middle of an FIA process in relation to what happened last year, and it wouldn’t be prudent of the corporation to have a track walk after the event in those circumstances.
“It was a difficult conversation at board level but we have made the decision that for 2024, it won’t proceed.”
Organisers hope that, with their efforts this year and additional time for the FIA to reach a conclusion with regard to last year’s issues ahead of 2025, the track can be opened to fans once more.
However, that hinges on the behaviour of spectators this year.
“I want to be clear, I think everyone on the board and I think most of the people associated with the Australian Grand Prix would like to see it come back,” Pakula said.
“It’s a traditional part of the Australian Grand Prix that people can assemble underneath the podium after the race and come onto the track.
“If it’s possible to bring it back from 2025 and beyond, that’s what we’ like to do.
“It’s a conversation we’ll need to have with F1, with the FIA, with government, but it’s what we’d like to do.
“But, to be frank about it, whether or not we’re able to do that will largely depend on it – it will significantly depend on – how people behave this year.
“We cannot have a repeat of what occurred in 2023 when people found their way into the track before the cars had come off the track,” he reiterated.
“It’s dangerous. The cars might not have been going particularly quick at that point, but it’s still dangerous.
“But we are really asking the very passionate motor racing community to do the right thing.
“If, like us, they’d like to see this thing come back, it’s really imperative that people behave properly in 2024.
“We can’t have a repeat of what happened last year.”
A significant police presence will complement event security to assist with crowd management at the conclusion of the event, with fines of up to $17,000 in place for spectators breaching the rules.
The Australian Grand Prix is expected to announce a record four-day crowd, topping last year’s figure of 444,631.
An estimated 319,949 fans attended the opening three days of this year’s event, with a further 130,000 expected today.
Should that happen, the event will likely crack 450,000 fans in total.
