F1 fan injured by flying debris in Australian GP

A F1 fan was slightly injured during Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park when a piece of flying debris from Kevin Magnussen’s Haas struck the spectator in the arm.

Will Sweet was standing with his fiancée on a packed hill just off Turn 2 when Magnussen thumped the wall and shred a tyre off the Haas VF-23, flinging a piece of debris that struck the fan the arm, which resulted in a cut.

Read also: Track invasion puts Australian GP promoter in breach of rules!

“It slapped me in the arm and I was just standing there bleeding,” he told Australian radio station 3AW, according to Reuters.

“My arm was covering where my neck would’ve been, but if that had hit my fiancée, it would’ve got her right in the head.

“I realised how big it was and how heavy it was. Part of it was shredded and really sharp, if it hit me in a different angle, it could’ve been horrendous,” he added.

©Instagram/WillSweet

Despite the very minor consequence of the unfortunate situation, the incident sparked questions about the event’s safety protocol, especially as the end of the race was marked by a track invasion by a group of fans while cars were still circulating around the circuit.

Sweet said the debris from Magnussen’s Haas had shot “straight up and way over the fence”, landing in an area packed with young children. The Aussie noted that no officials came to the site to observe the situation or help him.

Race promoter and Australian Grand Prix Corporation boss Andrew Westacott labeled the incident a “freak one-off”, but insisted the AGPC would investigate the matter.

“The debris fences are consistent around the world. We’re compliant with our FIA regulations,” he told Australian media on Monday.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply