27-year-old British man could face six months in prison
Tuesday 22 September 2015 11:54, UK
A British national has been charged by authorities in Singapore for committing a "rash act" after walking on the track during Sunday's grand prix.
Yogvitam Pravin Dhokia, 27, hopped over the barrier on Esplanade Drive and proceeded to cross the track. He was forced to up his pace and run as Sebastian Vettel approached at around 180mph.
However, unflustered, he seemingly tried to take a picture of the cars as they whizzed past before jumping over the barrier on the other side of the track. He was subsequently arrested by police.
The formal charge sheet said Dhokia had committed an "act so rashly as to endanger the personal safety of the drivers involved in the race, to wit, by crossing the race track while the race is on-going."
According to reports in Singapore, Dhokia could not afford bail of around £7,000 because he is unemployed and had spent all his money travelling to the Marina Bay Circuit.
He will appear in court again on October 6 and could face six months in prison.
A spokeswoman from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office said: "We can confirm the arrest of a British National in Singapore on 20th September and we stand ready to provide consular assistance."
The incident was the second time this season that a spectator has entered the track during a live session. At the Chinese GP in April a fan crossed the start/finish straight and attempted to enter the pit-lane as he supposedly thought the admission price included the opportunity to drive the cars.
Don't miss the F1 Midweek Report on Wednesday night at 8.30pm when John Watson and Maurice Hamilton join Anna Woolhouse to discuss the Singapore GP
