Formula One’s governing body has launched an investigation following another near-miss in the pit-lane at Sunday’s Miami Grand Prix.
A week after Esteban Ocon almost collided with a cluster of individuals in Azerbaijan, footage has emerged of an official – understood to be a volunteer marshal – walking in front of Lando Norris as the British driver entered the pits in his McLaren.
The incident on lap five of the 57-lap race was uploaded to the Sky Sports’ F1 website, but has since been removed.
An FIA spokesperson told the PA news agency: “We are aware of the incident and looking into it with local organisers.”
The FIA had implemented new rules after Ocon nearly ran over a lot of people in the pitlane on the last lap last week in Baku.
However, it nearly happened again yesterday as someone was crossing the pit-lane again from what we can see from Lando Norris’ on-board camera..#F1… pic.twitter.com/6VrJJXTG3ZAdvertisement— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) May 8, 2023
The alarming flashpoint followed an FIA review into pit-lane safety after Ocon said the sport narrowly avoided a “disaster” when he stopped for tyres on the final lap at the previous round in Baku.
An on-board camera from the French driver’s car showed dozens of people – who had gathered at the entrance to the pit-lane with the race still ongoing – scrambling to get out of his way.
Ahead of last weekend’s race in the United States, the FIA updated its rulebook to prevent “mechanics from moving from their garages to the parc ferme”, and “other personnel or VIPs from entering the pit lane, until the last car has taken the chequered flag”.
The FIA warned that “any infringement will result in the removal of passes from the team(s) in question from subsequent events, and potential reporting of the infringing team(s) to the stewards”.
