FIA opens investigation into Norris's near-miss following Miami GP incident

A Brush with Disaster

In a heart-stopping moment at the Miami Grand Prix, an official, reportedly a volunteer marshal, strayed into the path of Norris as the British driver entered the pits.

This incident, captured on lap five of the 57-lap race, was initially uploaded to the Sky Sports’ F1 website but has since been removed.

This flashpoint comes just one week after Alpine driver Esteban Ocon narrowly avoided a collision with a group of people in the pit-lane during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

"We are aware of the incident and looking into it with local organisers," an FIA spokesperson told the PA news agency.

A Trend of Pit-Lane Perils

These incidents have shone a spotlight on pit-lane safety, an integral yet often overlooked aspect of Formula 1.

The urgency of this matter was underscored by Ocon's comments after his close call in Baku, warning that the sport had skirted a "disaster".

Footage from Ocon's onboard camera showed a throng of people, who had congregated at the pit-lane entrance with the race still underway, scrambling to avoid his car as he came in for a tyre change.

FIA Responds to Safety Concerns

In response to these near-misses, the FIA has taken steps to revise its safety protocols.

Before the Miami Grand Prix, amendments were made to the rulebook to forbid "mechanics from moving from their garages to the parc ferme" and "other personnel or VIPs from entering the pit lane, until the last car has taken the chequered flag".

The FIA further stated that any infringement of these rules could lead to severe consequences, including the removal of team passes for future events and potential reporting of the infringing team(s) to the stewards.

While these changes indicate a move in the right direction, the back-to-back incidents involving Ocon and Norris suggest that there's more work to be done to ensure the safety of everyone involved in Formula 1, from drivers to team personnel and even volunteer marshals.