Latest Episode | Cut To The Race Podcast
Pierre Gasly has asked for fans to show restraint after a busy Monza weekend where fans even knocked on his door.
Pierre Gasly has asked for fans to show more restraint when in the pitlane and in F1 hospitality. (Image Credit: Planetf1)For the second time in less than a year, Pierre Gasly has felt the need to ask fans to calm down. Following this year’s Italian Grand Prix, Gasly shared with Autosport that the fans can sometimes be too intense. This comes after the 2022 Mexico City Grand Prix when his bag was opened in the paddock.
Gasly shared his experience at Monza. He has called for more respect and restraint from fans. Not only from a personal experience but from a team experience. Gasly acknowledges that the masses of people in the paddock can make it difficult to get work done.
“I love fans, and I always love to stop by and give some time. But then it’s obviously our work environment.”
“Sometimes it’s a bit tricky to get around and make sure that we are on time for the commitments that we got because it’s minute by minute, and it’s clearly one of the busiest pitlanes.”
Monza had a staggering attendance of over 300,000 people over the weekend. It is understandable why the paddock and the pitlane got so busy. Despite this, if the teams can’t get their job done it can become frustrating.
“Knocking at the door”
Not only did Gasly find Monza’s fan experience difficult in a work capacity but also in a personal one. The French driver commented that although he enjoys the fans it can get a bit too close for comfort.
“It’s very enjoyable, but sometimes it’s even people knocking at the door inside the hospitality, you wonder how they got there.”
As mentioned earlier, this is not the first time Gasly has experienced an invasion of privacy in the paddock. Other drivers, including Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, have called for paddock guidelines to be put in place.
Safety above all else
There have been times in the past when members of the public, who were inside the paddock, had been allowed into the pitlane during a race. This has resulted in a few incredibly close calls, notably Alex Albon in Australia and Esteban Ocon in Baku.
These incidents, although nothing to do with Gasly’s recent comments, again remind us of the need for a set of standards that need to be followed. As the sport continues to grow and visitors to the paddock increase in numbers, guidelines and rules will be on the minds of many.
Feature Image Credit: Caranddriver.com
