FP1: potential danger as Dutch fans threw smoke bombs on track | 2023 Austrian GP. Dutch fans threw smoke bombs on track.

F1 Austria, dangerous proximity of a smoke bomb to the cars

A dangerous incident occurred during the first free practice session for the 2023 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring. At the beginning of the session, Dutch fans who gathered in Austria to support Max Verstappen threw a smoke bomb onto the grass runoff area of the last corner, close to where the cars pass at very high speeds.

The smoke bomb was approximately 15 meters away from the normal racing line that drivers take after the penultimate corner (Jochen Rindt) to approach Turn 10. Nevertheless, the race direction did not deem it necessary to display any flags, not even the yellow flag.

Photos of the smoke bomb
These images highlight the potential danger posed by the actions of the Orange fans.

Unfortunately, fans from the Netherlands are not new to such behaviors. In the last two races held in Zandvoort, several drivers complained about the orange smoke haze that obstructed visibility, especially during qualifying and the early stages of the race. In 2022, they even celebrated Lewis Hamilton’s elimination from qualifying at the Red Bull Ring with smoke bombs.