Formula 1 drivers will face race bans, astronomical fines, and even points deductions if they fall foul of the new draconian rules around misconduct introduced this year by the FIA.
The governing body issued updated guidelines for stewards in relation to the International Sporting Code, which states the tariffs they can impose if a driver falls foul of Article 12.2.1 relating to misconduct.
The changes come after a row over swearing between the FIA and drivers last year, after Max Verstappen drew criticism for comments directed to his Red Bull team during the Hungarian Grand Prix.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem wants to crack down on the language used by drivers due to the range of audiences watching globally, saying drivers sounded ‘like rappers’ and that it fuelled abuse online.
The FIA has been keen to stamp out online abuse directed towards officials, even conducting a study that found 75% of athletes are ‘bombarded with threats’ on social media. The governing body has recently announced that it had backing from the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme, pledging €400,000 (£338,000) to their project aimed at stamping it out.
But the latest raft of changes to the ISC could rile drivers up even more, amid growing disconcert over how the issue is being handled by Ben Sulayem.
George Russell and GPDA hit back after FIA issues community service for Max Verstappen
Verstappen was the first driver to fall foul on the new crack down during the Singapore Grand Prix when he used the f-word in an official FIA Press Conference to describe the state of his car.
The stewards handed him community service, which was served at the recent FIA Prize Giving Gala in Rwanda, although the Dutchman would go on to retaliate by not answering questions in FIA press conferences and holding his own outside for media.
Charles Leclerc would also fall foul of the rules when he used the same word accidentally, although he was fined €10,000 because he apologised almost immediately after using the term. The whole saga saw the Grand Prix Drivers Association hit out at the FIA and urge them to be treated ‘like adults’ with George Russell also saying he was ‘fed up’ with the whole situation (via Autosport).
The new changes for this year will see heavy fines for drivers breaching the ISC, specifically the part that states the “general use of language that is offensive, insulting, coarse, rude or abusive” which amounts to ‘misconduct’. Now it appears swearing is equivalent to ‘public incitement of violence or hatred’ when looking at the punishments. F1 drivers and others in top-level championships such as Formula E and WRC are all now subject to four times the standard amount.
A first offence is punishable by €40,000 (£33,800); a second offence by €80,000 (£67,600) and a suspended one-month suspension from competition; and a third offence €120,000 (£101,000) fine, a one-month suspension, and an unspecified points deduction. These penalties apply to all FIA licence holders, meaning F1 team principals would be subject to the same fines.
It’s an astronomical amount of money, when you consider drivers pay €11,453 (£9,600) plus €2,313 (£1,954) per point scored for a super licence in 2025. These fines also apply to drivers in FIA-sanctioned championships lower down the pyramid, which means drivers in FIA international series could face fines of up to €30,000 (£22,000).
FIA risks taking personality out of drivers and riling them up over trivial issues
The FIA’s decision to stamp out bad language in press conferences seemed valiant in the context of what they were trying to achieve, especially as Verstappen’s comments felt gratuitous and somewhat childish.
Fining Leclerc also appeared to draw a line under the matter, but the new fines make a mockery and are potentially disproportionate to the offence. What is not clear is the scope of these fines; whether they will only be investigated for language in official FIA press conferences or outside in their own and over team radio.
The GPDA agreed that swearing over team radio should be allowed in the wake of the crack down, while Kevin Magnussen went without being investigated for using the same language in a Haas press conference as Verstappen over the Singapore GP weekend (via RacingNews365).
Characters like Guenther Steiner rose to prominence through their use of foul language, and it’s commonplace to hear drivers flustered over team radio. It can add to the entertainment value if done in a non-abusive way, and I suspect the drivers will want to strike a balance with the FIA to ensure that isn’t lost.
Verstappen made his feelings clear when he was handed the community service order, while Lewis Hamilton also said he wouldn’t serve it if he got handed a similar penalty. With tensions between the FIA and F1 already high, these heavy fines will only serve to rile them up even more.
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