Alright, so, here’s the deal with Formula 1 lately – there’s been some fuss, to say the least. And not just about the cars or the races. It’s all about what drivers can — or can’t — say. Yeah, it got kinda wild after the FIA, which basically runs the F1 show, decided to chill out a bit on punishing drivers for mouthing off or taking a jab at officials. Everyone was going bananas about the heavy penalties before, so now, well, they’ve backed off a smidge.
So here’s how it went down. The big bosses lowered the fines for first-time offenders to €5,000 (around £4,200 if pounds are more your thing), cutting down from a hefty €40,000. Yeah, a massive drop, I know. And, get this, they totally ditched the race ban option for folks saying naughty words or, like, calling out officials. But, um, there are still “more severe penalties” on the table for what they call “serious offences.” Whatever that exactly means is kinda vague.
They also scrubbed those wacky rules where F1 drivers got slapped with fines four times higher than other folks. Oh, and they’re now sifting through comments based on where they happen — all official-like during races or elsewhere, like press meet-ups where everyone’s just yakking away.
But — twists, right? — drivers still have to watch their language and, no surprise, can’t just bash the FIA or spout off personal brainwaves that breach what they call “neutrality.” If they do, they’re looking at a fine of up to €20,000. Yikes.
Apparently, this shake-up’s a massive “improvement.” (The FIA’s words, seriously.) It all came after everyone in the racing sphere cried foul over the tough stance they slapped on drivers this January. Flashback to last year when Max Verstappen, the F1 champ, was punished with the F1 version of detention (yeah, community service) for swearing during a press thing at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Drivers even penned a letter — like sending a note to the headteacher — asking to be treated like adults. Among the voices was George Russell from Mercedes, who wasn’t shy about calling out the FIA to actually do something beyond just chatting about it. And President Mohammed Ben Sulayem kind of let on about these moves on Instagram before it all officially dropped. Social media teasers, right? Classic.
Anyway, that’s the scoop. Might be more drama ahead, or maybe they’ll all just… race. Who knows? But, hey, keeps things interesting.
