Climate activists invaded the circuit at Silverstone on Sunday shortly after the British Grand Prix was red-flagged following a multi-car crash at the start.

In the immediate aftermath, Lewis Hamilton said, “big up those guys” and “I love that people are fighting for the planet and we need more people like them.”

The comments forced Mercedes to hastily issue a statement in which is said neither the team, nor Hamilton, backed how the protest was staged.

“Lewis was endorsing their right to protest but not the method that they chose, which compromised their safety and that of others,” Mercedes confirmed.

Hours later, Hamilton was forced to take a backwards step himself when it was made clear to him that the protesters had breached the track, causing a significant safety threat.

“As we’ve seen today, this is a very dangerous sport,” he wrote on social media. “I wasn’t aware of the protests today, and while I’ll always support those standing up for what they believe in, it must be done safely.

“Please don’t jump onto our race circuits to protest, we don’t want to put you in harm’s way.”

The same group, Just Stop Oil, were responsible for a stunt at a London art gallery last week, when two protesters glued themselves to the frame of a Vincent van Gogh painting.

And Louis McKechnie, one of those taking direct action on Sunday, tied himself to the goalpost during an Everton-Newcastle match last season.

Formula One’s governing body the FIA said they had removed the group from the circuit with police announcing that “a number of arrests” had been made.

“We confirm that after the red flag, several people attempted to enter the track,” an FIA statement reported. “These people were immediately removed and the matter is now being dealt with by the local authorities.”

Both Northamptonshire Police and Silverstone had warned of potential disruption in the run-up to the race after intelligence received.

F1 boss Stefano Domenicali said the protest was “totally irresponsible and dangerous”.

“Everyone has the right to speak out on issues, but no-one has the right to put lives in danger,” the Italian told Sky Sports.

“People can protest something by voice, but running the risk on a track, jeopardising and having the really serious stuff for the drivers and themselves is totally stupid.

“This is not acceptable, you can protest whatever you want, there is freedom to speak, but this is really ridiculous.”

In a media statement Just Stop Oil claimed responsibility for Sunday’s latest action at one of the jewels in Britain’s sporting calendar.

They demanded that the British government “calls an immediate halt to new oil and gas projects in the UK” and warned they would “continue to disrupt sports, cultural events and oil until this demand is met”.

McKechnie said: “I’m in resistance because I cannot stand by while our government licenses new oil and gas projects. Our addiction to oil has brought us to the brink of catastrophe.”