Why the FIA's penalty list seems unworkable in practice
General
- Ludo van Denderen
With a new 'price list' of penalties following verbal misconduct by (F1) drivers, the FIA has made it clear that it is really doing everything it can to ensure that drivers fall in line. If the motorsport federation does not like anything at all, very severe sanctions will be imposed. A big problem? How do you decide when to impose a penalty and when not to? All of this seems to guarantee trouble.
When Max Verstappen used the word ‘fucked’ during a press conference, the FIA was unrelenting. Through the stewards on duty, the Dutchman was given community service, which - fair's fair - did not amount to much. Verstappen had to attend a local motorsport project in Rwanda, have some chats with the people there and that was it.
Verstappen won't get off easy again
If Verstappen were to make the ‘mistake’ again in 2025, he won’t get off so easily. A first offence carries a €40,000 fine (F1 drivers get 4 times the minimum penalty for drivers in most other classes, which is 4 times €10,000). With every subsequent offense, the fine increases, and eventually, even a suspension could follow.
Whether or not this is really the most important issue for Ben Sulayem and the FIA to focus on, it becomes very arbitrary to judge what is and isn’t acceptable.
An example: If George Russell, as the president of the GPDA drivers’ union, wants to know where the FIA is spending the fines they collect, is that an offense? Because perhaps it could be interpreted as implying that the FIA is corrupt, funneling money for personal gain?
Or what if Lewis Hamilton takes a knee while the national anthem plays? Is that a political act and thus punishable according to the rules? Or is it a form of freedom of expression? Don’t forget, what is perfectly acceptable in one country can be completely unacceptable in another. Take the word ‘fucked,’ which no one blinks an eye at in the Netherlands. In the United Kingdom, hearing this word would make people recoil in shock.
FIA seems to be making talking dolls of drivers
There’s a possibility that the FIA and Ben Sulayem are trying to silence the drivers in advance, hoping that they will focus solely on racing, but in democratic societies, criticism should be allowed. That is precisely where the greatest fear lies. Verbal misconduct is quickly equated with criticism, and then these new rules from the FIA are undoubtedly going to make for very uncomfortable moments.
This article was written in collaboration with Norberto Mujica.
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