Formula E driver fears for F1 pit-wall celebrations

Jon Wilde
Red Bull mechanics celebrate Max Verstappen's French GP victory. Paul Ricard June 2021.

Red Bull mechanics celebrate Max Verstappen's French Grand Prix victory on the pit wall. Paul Ricard June 2021.

Pit-wall celebrations at the end of Formula 1 races could be an accident waiting to happen.

That is the view of Formula E driver Jake Dennis, who fears the spectacle might result in tragedy if it is allowed to continue.

It has become a common sight for team engineers to lean over the pit wall fencing and cheer home their driver at the end of a race in which they have shone.

The driver often swerves in the direction of the pit wall by way of joining in the celebration, getting closer to his colleagues.

But while thankfully there has yet to be an incident, Dennis, 26, who is in his second season of Formula E with the Andretti team, is concerned something could go badly wrong.

As reported by Motorsport Week, Dennis posted on Instagram that what has now become a tradition, not only in F1 but also other categories, is potentially very dangerous if someone was to over-balance and land on the track.

“Things you love to see but this is sooo sketchy,” Dennis said on his Instagram story, featuring an image of Lando Norris finishing third in the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. “One slip from a mechanic and it’s not a pretty sight.

“Have a feeling it will only change if something bad were to happen.”

 

Dennis is a Red Bull simulator and development driver who won two Formula E races last year, in Valencia and London, on the way to finishing third in the World Championship.

This season, he has a best result of third in the opening race of the campaign in Riyadh.

He will next be in action in the Monaco E-Prix on April 30, hoping to improve from 10th position in the standings which are currently headed by former Toro Rosso F1 driver Jean-Eric Vergne.

 

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