The America GP was fined €500,000 due to 200 fans entering the track.

The organizers of the United States Grand Prix in Austin were penalized by the FIA with a €500,000 fine for spectators entering the track early, of which €350,000 was suspended. At the end of the race at COTA, while the cars were still on cool-down laps after the finish, a crowd of spectators entered the start-finish straight.

According to FIA estimates, about 200 people from the stands across from the pit lane climbed over a fence, dropped two meters down, and crossed a barrier that separated them from the track. Early track invasions are considered a serious violation of FIA’s safety protocols, and the U.S. race management and COTA representatives are required to report to FIA race commissioners for a statement.

During the meeting, commissioners determined that the event “failed to take reasonable precautions, creating an unsafe situation,” thus violating the FIA’s International Sporting Code. A €500,000 fine was imposed on the Texas circuit, with €350,000 suspended until December 31, 2026, on the condition that no further violations occur at FIA-approved events. The organizers must submit an official improvement plan to the FIA before the end of the year, outlining measures to prevent recurrence and investigate other potential violation areas around the 5.5 km track.

Officials stated that the event’s safety plan for admitting spectators to the track was adequately implemented; however, the organizers overlooked a potential violation area on the main straight that caused safety issues on Sunday. Crowd control problems have become a recurring theme in recent years. Earlier in 2024, the organizers of the Canadian Grand Prix were called by the FIA for fans entering the track while cars were still on it.

In 2023, the Australian Grand Prix held in Melbourne also experienced track invasion issues, and organizers were requested to submit a similar improvement report to the governing body. Melbourne’s organizers decided to ban fans from entering the track for this year’s race at Albert Park. A similar situation occurred last year at the Brazilian Grand Prix when fans entered the Interlagos track at Turn 1 as cars received the checkered flag.

The commissioners recommended that the guaranteed portion of the fine be allocated to motorsport safety initiatives managed by the FIA Safety Department.