Analyzing the FIA’s biased history
Ianna Martinez Barrientos, Staff Writer
One glance at the Federation Internationale de L’Automobile’s (FIA) past will reveal a controlling pattern, specifically one that is suspected to be biased and unfair. Throughout Formula 1 history, the drivers have created a variety of ways to protest their rules, ranging from the 1982 race boycott in the South Africa Grand Prix to Max Verstappen’s refusal to speak during the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix press conference.
On November 7th, the Grand Prix Driver Association (GPDA) published a statement regarding Driver Misconduct via Instagram. The post was directed to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and requested that there be behaviour changes on his behalf. But what led the drivers to publish this statement?
The turning point this season occurred during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend when Sulayem announced that drivers must limit their swearing. In his statement, he said, “we have to differentiate between our sport – motor sport – and rap music.” This comment upset driver Lewis Hamilton as it had a “racial element” attached to it. In the GPDA post, they requested that Sulayem “consider his tone and language when talking to our member drivers, or indeed about them, whether in a public forum or otherwise.”
Another incident occurred during the Singapore Grand Prix press conference when Verstappen let out an F-word and as a penalty, he was given one day of community service. However, the controversy grew during the Mexican Grand Prix when Charles Leclerc let out the same word and was given a hefty fine of 10,000 Euros. Ultimately, leading the tabloids and the viewers to wonder why one driver was given a day of community service and another a fine.
The tension grew between the FIA and the drivers during the Brazilian Grand Prix when drivers Lando Norris and George Russell were given a fine for starting a formation lap after an aborted start. Following this event, the GPDA let the FIA know through their Instagram post that there have been increasing concerns about the monetary fines and that they believe it is not appropriate for the sport. They further requested to not only have full transparency about where that money goes but that the drivers should also have a say in how that money is spent.
Of course, the FIA’s work is very much needed during the races as someone needs to make quick decisions about penalties, but this has proven to be an issue because they are not consistent with whom they give penalties. Now, why is the FIA inconsistent with their actions? The answer to this may lie in the fact that FIA members are always being rotated, meaning that it is very unlikely that one member will be present for multiple consecutive races. Another reason for their inconsistency when giving out penalties might be that the racing rules and regulations need to be revised and after revision, the FIA members must stick to them in order to give every driver a fair chance. Additionally, Formula 1 is always changing because there are new advancements in engineering, therefore, it would be unfair if the drivers, teams, and engineers had to follow outdated rules.
As of now, the FIA is set to update their regulations for the 2026 season and all that we can do is wait and see if these new rules will improve the sport.
Photo Credit: Motors Inside
