Fans often have access to different areas of the track after the races, allowing them to get up close to the podium and be part of the celebrations.
Videos have surfaced at several recent Grands Prix showing fans removing signage from the circuits and taking them home, including billboards, DRS panels and even flags in marketing areas.
This trend has gained particular strength on social media , where several videos have been posted showing fans taking the posters with them as souvenirs after a race.
But ahead of this weekend’s French Grand Prix, it has emerged that F1 is ready to get serious about fans stealing track signage.
Motorsport.com has learned that camera footage of post-race track invasions will be monitored to identify the perpetrators of the thefts, and that anyone seen removing signage will be referred to local authorities and will face legal proceedings .
Fan behavior has come to the fore in recent weeks following a series of reports of sexual harassment and abuse, especially towards women, during the Austrian Grand Prix .
F1 issued a statement after the Austrian race confirming it would speak to the race promoter and end the “unacceptable” behaviour, while four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel called for a life-long entry ban. to the circuits to the authors.
Vettel said on Thursday at Paul Ricard, before the French Grand Prix, that he was not worried that the matter would escalate, and that he thought the abuse had “probably always been there”, but that fans were now more willing to talk. of their bad experiences.
“Maybe you’re starting to see a generation coming to the track and complaining about it and making noise and using different platforms to report it,” said the Aston Martin Racing driver.
“It’s great to see that people have the courage to speak up, and that we find out about these things that happen, because that’s the only way we can act.”
“The truth is that, unfortunately, this has been going on for a long time. More than time it is about these things changing, because there is no room for all that.”
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