Hamilton calls for ‘peaceful protests’ amid fears of second track invasion

The opening lap of the British Grand Prix saw a number of ‘Just Stop Oil’ protestors take to the track in the first sector of the lap.

Coincidentally, the race had already been red-flagged due to Zhou Guanyu’s scary shunt at Turn 1 following contact with George Russell, so the protestors didn’t impact the action too severely.

There’s serious concerns that it could happen again following similar protests at Wimbledon this week, while other sports such as Snooker and Cricket have also been affected this year.

Hamilton was asked about the potential protest ahead of this weekend’s British GP in the FIA press conference.

“We have not yet spoken to the FIA about what to do,” he said. “Naturally we are hoping that we learned from last year, and it won’t happen this year. I believe we have 100 more marshals to make sure it doesn’t happen. 

“We are focused on sustainability, we believe in what the people are fighting for and we are making those changes. But safety is key. I support peaceful protests.”

Alex Albon conceded that there’s a “high chance” there will be another protest this weekend.

“There is a high chance of something happening. In the sport that we do, there is a concern. A pitch invasion is one thing, but with cars? It is dangerous. We have to be prepared for it.”