The governor of Styria has harshly criticized climate activists for their attempt to disrupt Sunday's Austrian GP.

Just prior to the start of the F3 support race at the Red Bull Ring, several protesters breached the spectator barriers and managed to reach the middle of a gravel trap, allegedly intending to chain themselves to the track.

"Two of them made it to the gravel bed at turn 3 before they were stopped by the organiser's security staff," a police spokesman confirmed to Kronen Zeitung newspaper.

"They apparently came onto the track via the western, wooded part."

Two men and a woman were apprehended, facing charges of trespassing, theft of a service for not having tickets, property damage, and other offenses. They were strongly denounced by the visiting Styrian governor, Christopher Drexler.

"To me, these people are not activists, they are dangerous," he said. "They are taking tens of thousands of peaceful motorsport fans hostage and thereby damaging the climate - namely that of our society."

Drexler further stated that the activists pose risks to the drivers, the spectators, the security personnel, "and ultimately our joint efforts to protect the climate." body check tags ::