Aston Martin Fined $5,000 for โLeavingโ Fans Waiting in Heat at Spanish Grand Prix
Barcelona, Spain – Aston Martin has been issued โa $5,000 fine by the FIA following complaints that fans were left waiting forโค “several hours in theโฃ heat” โฃoutside the team’s fan โzone at the Spanish Grand Prix. The penalty, announced Friday, comes as the โฃteam attempts to repair relations with supporters afterโ logistical issues marredโ a planned meet-and-greet event.
the incident occurred as Aston Martin sought to appease โfans following a recent period of disappointing on-track performance. The team had promised a visit to the fan zone with signed merchandise giveaways, exclusiveโข garage tours for two fans, and meet-and-greet opportunitiesโข with drivers Fernandoโค Alonso โขand Lance Stroll. However, a significant number ofโค fans were โขreportedly held outside the fan โzone for extended periods in high temperatures,โฃ leading to widespread dissatisfaction.The FIA requested proof ofโ remediation efforts from theโค team, resulting โin โขthe planned fanโฃ engagement activities.
Aston Martin addressed the situation by promising to hand out signed hats to fans โคwearing team merchandise and offering two supporters a garageโฃ tour and driver meet-and-greet.Team driver โFernando โAlonso โฃacknowledged the challenges of setting up the car โคat โthe Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, stating, “tricky circuit always to balance โthe โcar. Very โdifferent corner speeds in the first sector and in the last sector. The hotelโ section is always very โขslow and challenging to negotiate, but yeah, I think as was to be expected.”
Friday’s practice sessions saw young โdrivers Jak Crawford and Cian Shields take the wheel in FP1, with Alonso finishing ninth andโข stroll twelfth in FP2. Alonso praised theโค performance of both young drivers, saying, “I think thay did a veryโ good job inโ FP1. We got all the data thatโ we wanted, so they drove consistently, and yeah, Iโข think it wasโค notโ much missing.”
The FIA’s decision underscores the โฃimportance of fan experience and safety at Formula 1 events. Aston Martin will aim toโ deliver a smoother experience for fans throughout the remainder of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend.
