Mexican GP caps paddock attendance to improve security

Promoters for the Mexican Grand Prix and F1 have taken measures to reduce paddock attendance at this weekend’s race to avoid a repeat of last year’s security issues at the venue.

In 2022 at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, a paddock overcrowded with outsiders and VIPs led to congestion that hindered the movement of drivers and team members in their workspace, often resulting in their tardy arrival at meetings or appointments.

But F1’s jam-packed workspace also instilled a sense of insecurity for some, including Pierre Gasly who noticed that intrusive fans had opened his backpack as he was making his way to his team’s motorhome.

The overpopulated area, not only in Mexico but at many other venues as well, is the result of F1’s attempts to open itself up more to outsiders, only for drivers to now remain consigned to their private spaces with their team’s infrastructure as much as possible.

• Read also: Verstappen to receive security detail protection in Mexico

But for this weekend’s event, the Mexican Grand Prix organisers have done their best to keep the paddock’s attendance at a reasonable number.

“We have been working hand in hand with Formula 1 to see how we can reduce the requests," said the race's marketing director Rodrigo Sanchez.

"There are a lot of requests from teams and sponsors that are coming in and we have to find a way to keep those lists as small as possible, so that we can have a much more comfortable environment in the paddock."

Taking a proactive approach, organizers launched a marketing campaign to urge fans on site to respect drivers and remember that the paddock is a workplace first and foremost.

"The paddock is a working area for the drivers and for the teams," added Sanchez.

"Those few who have the privilege of being able to enter this restricted part of the racetrack, should know how to behave in a certain way and ask them to have an exemplary behaviour. Otherwise, the race cannot work."

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