Silverstone boss delivers strong message to potential protesters

Silverstone Circuit managing director Stuart Pringle is urging protesters not to renew their foolish on-track demonstrations from a year ago and put their life in danger.

Last years' British Grand Prix at Silverstone was partially disrupted when seven people belonging to the Just Stop Oil climate activist group gained access to the track and staged a protest.

Fortunately, the race had been red flagged moments earlier due to the massive start-line crash involving Alfa Romeo's Zhou Guanyu, which meant that the cars were no longer at full speed by the time they reached the site of the on-track demonstration.

International sporting events have been regularly targeted by protesters, with Just Stop Oil activists recently storming the pitch at Lord's Cricket Ground and interrupting play at Wimbledon this week.

• Read also: Hamilton 'supportive' of protesters, but not on the track

Pringle said that Silverstone has no "specific intelligence" that has led it to believe that there will be disruptions this weekend, but just in case he is urging protesters to steer clear of the circuit this weekend.

"The fundamental difference here is that you are not putting your life in danger when you run on the pitch at Lord’s," argued the Silverstone boss.

"You are not putting your life in danger when you sit on a snooker table or protest at a flower show.

"A motor racing track is not the place to go. It is extraordinarily dangerous and people will be putting lives at risk if they go there, and any sensible, right-thinking person can extrapolate what the ultimate risk here is.

"My strong, strong message is: ‘Do not put your life in danger. This is not the place to go and sit on a floor’.

"It is absolute madness if someone climbs onto a live racing track. We have no specific intelligence, but we will plan for the worst and hope for the best."

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter