We, like many other fans, woke in the early hours and waited patiently for hours for Vale tickets, to enter the track and queue in the pit lane for another hour to greet Formula 1 drivers up close. However, the hard-earned view was unexpectedly obstructed by black drapes placed just as Lando Norris entered the pitlane - a blatant disregard for the fans who had traveled, queued, and braved the weather.

The fans are the backbone of Formula 1. To be covered up and shut out insults everyone who put their time and money towards visiting, and what should have been a highlight was ruined by what seems to be a poorly thought out PR maneuver, masked as health and safety.

The drapes also put fans in potential danger, with some beginning to climb fences in the crowds. Eventually a cameraman fell on Lando Norris trying to hand on the drape, causing him to leave and ruining the moment. The organizers failed to foresee this chaos and prioritised image over fan well-being.

We call upon Formula 1 management and event organizers to recognize the disservice done to fans. Concrete actions need to be taken to rectify this situation. Possible solutions include offering refunds, exclusive fan experiences in future events, or another form of compensation.

It's time for the importance of the fan experience to be acknowledged and respected, not draped over and dismissed. Sign this petition to urge F1 authorities to right this wrong and ensure it never happens again. 

You can see the situation from minute 12:30 in the Sky Sports F1 video: https://youtu.be/IQS0nvIDifk . At 13:05 you can see staff ushering the camera man away from the fans, seemingly the situation was meant to be kept quiet. At 14:45 you can see Lando is told not to celebrate with the fans. Then you can see the camera men mistakenly holding onto the black drapes instead of the fence, making it  come down and one of them falls on Lando injuring him. In the video, Ted Kravits is perplexed by the decision of the drapes and criticises the decision to place them there.