According to Motorsport Australia stewards, Hillyer “brushed” a team member who was standing in the pit lane as he entered his pit bay and caused them to fall.
The Matt Chahda Motorsport team member admitted he was standing in the wrong spot while Hillyer claimed the unfortunate victim was unsighted.
Motorsport Australia said there were a range of mitigating circumstances, including the aforementioned admission of fault and a “minor, unfortunate” misjudgement of the position of the car to the team member in the pit lane.
The fact the team member was uninjured was also taken into consideration when deciding to only reprimand Hillyer.
Stewards warned the driver to take more care in the future and to stop when there is a chance a person could be hit.
“The team member had headsets on with his back to Car 2 and was unaware of Car 2’s approach,” the stewards report read.
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“The front right tyre of Car 2 clipped the heel of his shoe and he lost balance and fell.
“The team member frankly acknowledged that he ought not to have been standing where he was.
“He did not realise that he was so far to the left of Car 18 that he was standing in Car 2’s pit bay.
“He said that he was uninjured and attributed full responsibility for the incident to himself.
“The driver of Car 2 explained that due to the position of other cars ahead of his pit bay, he did not see the team member until he had already turned in.
“When he did see the team member he believed that there was space for him to pull into his pit bay without hitting the team member.
“He braked and had slowed to 10kph (confirmed by in car telemetry), and at the point his tyre clipped the heel of the team member he thought he was clear.
“His vision of the team member at the point of contact was also obstructed by the A pillar of his car.
“The stewards determined that the driver of Car 2 made an error of judgment which had the potential to cause injury to the team member. Therefore, the breach was established.”
Hillyer didn’t get off entirely scott-free, however, with a separate incident also noted by Motorsport Australia.
BJR was sanctioned $3000 (of which $1500 is suspended until December 31) for not using an incompressible component while a team member put their head under the car.
Hillyer was also disqualified from the second Super2 Series practice.
“The Team Representative admitted there wasn’t a solid incompressible component under the car, which is their normal practice,” stewards wrote in their report.
“There was a stand in place supporting the rear hub however, this wasn’t considered to comply with the requirements of D11.8.3 in supporting the car.”
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