Williams driver Alex Albon has poured water over concerns surrounding paddock numbers at the Mexico City Grand Prix and has instead questioned safety when leaving the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
F1 and the race organisers have limited the number of fans allowed in the paddock at the circuit following a number of concerns raised at last year's event.
Drivers were often mobbed by swarms of fans eager to get photographs and autographs between sessions, often making the short journey between garages and hospitality nigh-on impossible.
But more egregious issues came with people gaining access to the garages and, as then-AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly explained during last year's event, his backpack had been unzipped without his or his trainer's knowledge.
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Albon 'not too worried'
Asked if he felt the correct measures had been taken given the safety concerns, Albon told media including RacingNews365.com: "It's a tricky one.
"I do think we do need to make our sport as accessible as possible, so I don't see such a big issue with people being in the paddock, but I do know there's obviously limitations to it.
"To be honest with you, I don't think the paddock has been that bad. For me, it's more been kind of just getting out of the paddock.
"Sometimes you kind of leave the paddock and almost run over people's feet because they're kind of all coming up to your windows and everything.
"That stuff is maybe a little bit more touch and go, but yeah, with the paddock I’m not too worried about it.
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