OPINION | Silverstone protesters fail to realise how reckless invading a live GP track was

During last Sunday's British Grand Prix, five protesters took to the Silverstone track in a bid to interrupt the race. Fortunately for them, they took to the track moments after the race was red-flagged following Zhou Guanyu's horrific crash.

Now, we say 'fortunately' because the drivers had to return to the pits at a vastly reduced speed. The five protesters entered the track at the high-speed Wellington Straight, where Formula 1 cars can reach upwards of 320km/h.

Now imagine 20 of the world's fastest sports cars jostling for position, scrapping along the width of the track, and one car hitting a protester. The consequences would have been dire and the repercussions far-reaching. F1's broadcasting partners did not share live footage of the track invasion, but material emerged afterwards.

Today was a reminder that F1 remains a high-speed, high-risk sport that is always right on the edge.We are so thankful to the advances in safety that mean both Zhou Guanyu and Alex Albon are safe and well. pic.twitter.com/BJ8PPDG2av

'I'd call that success'

According to reports, five people took to the track shortly after the race started. Trackside marshals acted swiftly to remove the trespassers before anyone could get seriously hurt. Or worse.

On Monday following the race, the spokesperson for the climate activist group 'Just Stop Oil', James Skeet, appeared on the television show 'Good Morning Britain'. When asked about the group's actions, Skeet saw no danger in it, confirming to the presenter that their action was deemed a success.

"I'm on your programme talking about the most critical issue facing humanity, so I'd call that success."

While Skeet and 'Just Stop Oil' have merit for wanting to address climate change, they went about it the