Yogvitam Pravin Dhokia, the man who jumped on to the track during last September’s Singapore Grand Prix has been sentenced to six weeks in prison by a local district court.
The 27-year-old triggered a second Safety Car period at Marinay Bay Circuit when he was spotted taking a stroll on Esplanade Drive between Turn 13 and 14. Dhokia was arrested by local police shortly after his misdemeanour and charged in court on the following Tuesday.
The British national was accused of “acting so rashly as to endanger the personal safety of the drivers involved in the race, to wit, by crossing the race track while the race is ongoing.” Facing up to six month in jail and/or a fine of 2,500 SGD (around 1,150GBP), Dhokia pleaded guilty to the charge.
“The accused's act was not only rash but was both selfish and foolhardy,” District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt declared, with Singapore’s The Straits Times reporting that Dhokia went on to the track in order to make a video.
Race winner Sebastian Vettel was leading the floodlit contest when he came across the wandering fan first and immediately warned Ferrari over the team radio.
Asked about the bizarre incident in the FIA post-race conference, Vettel replied: “I had to look again because I wasn’t sure whether I had a problem with my eyesight or I saw somebody crossing the track.
“I went on the radio and said: ‘Some guy’s running across the track.’ I think I saw him taking a picture. I don’t know. I hope it was a good one at least. I hope it was in focus.”
While we would certainly refrain from judging Dhokia’s sentence, his situation could have been much worse if runner-up Daniel Ricciardo, whose charge behind Vettel was thwarted by the track invader, had implemented his initial plan.
“As the laps ticked down I was probably able to make the tyres last a bit better on the option and close in, but then Safety Car again, so thanks to the guy on the track, appreciate it. I was tempted to swerve, clip him!” joked the Australian in the FIA presser.
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