After an initial tightening of the rules in 2024 which was widely criticized by Formula 1 drivers, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) decided to go even further by increasing its sanctions for bad driving or rudeness.
While all eyes were on Fiorano and the track debut with Ferrari of seven-time British world champion Lewis Hamilton, the body published on Wednesday evening a new version of the International Sporting Code which will apply to all its competitions including F1 .
Thus, the guidelines are even stricter for any violation of the regulations and provide for heavy fines, and even a possible withdrawal of points or suspension in the event of a repeat offense.
A scale of sanctions has been revealed with fines ranging from 10,000 to 15,000 euros for a first offense, from 20,000 to 30,000 euros for a repeat offense and 30,000 to 45,000 euros for a second offense. But these amounts will be multiplied by four for Formula 1 drivers, by three for those competing in world rally championships (WRC) or endurance (WEC) and by two for participants in regional championships.
The 2024 season was marked by several sanctions which caused an outcry among the drivers, such as community service imposed on quadruple Dutch world champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) or a heavy fine imposed to the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) for swearing at a press conference.
-“The fines were not appropriate”
The drivers denounced the severity of these penalties and criticized certain statements by the president of the FIA, Mohamed Ben Sulayem. “When it comes to swearing, there is a difference between a swear word intended to insult others and more casual swear words, such as those one might use when talking about bad weather, an inanimate object such as a car Formula 1, or a driving situation”the pilots wrote in an open letter at the beginning of November judging that the fines were not “not appropriate”.
“We urge the FIA President to also consider his own tone and language when addressing or speaking about our member drivers, whether in a public forum or elsewhere. Furthermore, our members are adults, they do not need to be instructed through the media on such trivial matters as wearing jewelry or underwear.”they added.
The WRC season begins this Thursday with the Monte-Carlo rally, while the F1 season will begin in mid-March in Melbourne, Australia.
