Mosley Warns of Copycat Protests

Formula One's governing body has warned all circuits to watch out for "copycats" after an Irish protestor wandered onto the fastest part of the track at Sunday's British Grand Prix.

"I think the main concern is that we don't get people copying that," said International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley of the Silverstone incident.

"Somebody who does that gets massive publicity and you get people prepared to set light to themselves outside an embassy for far less publicity. So we've immediately sent out a warning to all the organisers of forthcoming races to ask them to be particularly vigilant in case we get a copycat."

Television audiences held their breath on Sunday as the protestor jogged down the main Hangar Straight as cars roared towards him at speeds in excess of 200 km/h.

"It was very serious," said Mosley. "We were very lucky he didn't get killed or, worse than that, kill one of the drivers. I imagine the authorities will take it very seriously."

The next race is at Hockenheim in Germany next week, where a disgruntled French former Mercedes employee disrupted the 2000 German Grand Prix. Briton Justin Wilson, who drove for Minardi in the race, told Autosport's website on Wednesday that the protestor was lucky to be alive.

"Before I knew it I had gone past him," he said. "If he had decided that he'd had enough (of living) you wouldn't have had a chance to react."