F1 cars line up at the Australian GP. Image via @ausgrandprix
PHOTO: F1 fan left with deep cut after being hit by car debris
A spectator had a frightening experience after being struck by a piece of debris after a collision at the F1 Australian GP.
F1 cars line up at the Australian GP. Image via @ausgrandprix
The Australian F1 Grand Prix was a chaotic and drama-filled affair on Sunday, with Max Verstappen ultimately finishing ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton for his second win of the year.
ALSO READ | Formula One: Every world champion to date
The F1 race was a stop-start affair after numerous incidents and crashes, while a spectator was left with a bloodied cut to his arm when struck by a piece of debris from Kevin Magnussen’s car.
“It slapped me in the arm and I was just standing there bleeding,” Will Sweet told an Australian radio station about how he was standing with his fiancée on a packed hill just off turn two when the Haas driver’s car hit the track-side barrier, sending his tyre and debris flying everywhere.
“My arm was covering where my neck would’ve been, but if that had hit my fiancée, it would’ve got her right in the head. I realised how big it was and how heavy it was. Part of it was shredded and really sharp, if it hit me in a different angle, it could’ve been horrendous,” he added.
ALSO READ | Formula One 2023: When is the next Grand Prix?
The spectator – who levelled criticism at organisers’ safety protocols – said the area he was standing was packed, and that there were several young children around
“No one even came and looked,” he said. “My fiancée was pretty spooked by it and borderline shell-shocked.”
AUSTRALIAN F1 GRAND PRIX RESULTS ON SUNDAY, THE THIRD ROUND OF THE 2023 FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP:
1. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 2hrs 32 min 38.271sec, 2. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) at 0.179, 3. Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin-Mercedes) 0.769, 4. Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin-Mercedes) 3.082, 5. Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull) 3.320, 6. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes) 3.701, 7. Nico Hulkenberg (GER/Haas-Ferrari) 4.939, 8. Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren-Mercedes) 5.382, 9. Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Alfa Romeo-Ferrari ) 5.713, 10. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri-Red Bull) 6.052, 11. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Alfa Romeo-Ferrari) 6.513, 12. Carlos Sainz (ESP/Ferrari) 6.594, 13. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine-Renault) 4 laps, 14. Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine-Renault) 4 laps, 15. Logan Sargeant (USA/Williams-Mercedes) 5 laps, 16. Nyck de Vries (NED/AlphaTauri-Red Bull) 5 laps
Best lap: Sergio Perez (MEX/Red Bull) 1:20.235 on the 52nd lap
Did not finish: Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 1 lap, Alexander Albon (THA/Williams-Mercedes) 8 laps, George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) 18 laps, Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari) 53 laps, Logan Sargeant (USA/Williams-Mercedes) 55 laps, Nyck de Vries (NED/AlphaTauri-Red Bull) 55 laps, Esteban Ocon (FRA/Alpine-Renault) 56 laps, Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine-Renault) 56 laps
ALSO READ | Lewis Hamilton opens up about pain of racial abuse at school
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS (AFTER THREE OF 23 RACES)
Drivers
1. Max Verstappen (NED) 69 pts, 2. Sergio Perez (MEX) 54, 3. Fernando Alonso (ESP) 45, 4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR) 38, 5. Carlos Sainz (ESP) 20, 6. Lance Stroll (CAN) 20, 7. George Russell (GBR) 18, 8. Lando Norris (GBR) 8, 9. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) 6, 10. Charles Leclerc (MON) 6, 11. Valtteri Bottas (FIN) 4, 12. Esteban Ocon (FRA) 4, 13. Oscar Piastri (AUS) 4, 14. Pierre Gasly (FRA) 4, 15. Zhou Guanyu (CHN) 2, 16. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN) 1, 17. Kevin Magnussen (DEN) 1, 18. Alexander Albon (THA) 1, 19. Logan Sargeant (USA) 0, 20. Nyck de Vries (NED) 0
Constructors
1. Red Bull 123 pts, 2. Aston Martin 65, 3. Mercedes 56, 4. Ferrari 26, 5. McLaren 12, 6. Alpine 8, 7. Haas 7, 8. Alfa Romeo 6, 9. AlphaTauri 1, Williams 1
ALSO READ | Formula One: Every world champion to date
