F1 drivers are about to think twice before speaking their minds, as the FIA just rolled out some pretty strict rules about what they can and can’t say.
The motorsport’s governing body isn’t messing around. They’ve created a whole new “price list” of fines for drivers who step out of line with their words – and the penalties are steep.
Just how steep? Well, F1 drivers are looking at a €40,000 fine for their first offense. That’s four times what drivers in other racing series would pay.
And it gets worse. Each time a driver breaks the rules again, the fines go up. Eventually, they could even face suspension from races.
Max Verstappen got a taste of this recently when he dropped an F-bomb during a press conference. He got off pretty easy with some community service in Rwanda, where he had to visit a local motorsport project.
But that kind of light punishment won’t happen again. Under these new rules, Verstappen would be facing that €40,000 fine instead.
Here’s where things get tricky: Who decides what crosses the line?
Take George Russell, for example. As head of the drivers’ union, what happens if he asks where all these fine payments are going? Could the FIA see that as an accusation of corruption?
Or consider Lewis Hamilton taking a knee during a national anthem. Is that political protest (which isn’t allowed) or just personal expression?
What’s acceptable seems to change depending on where you are. That F-word Verstappen used? Nobody bats an eye in the Netherlands, but it might shock people in the UK.
It looks like FIA president Ben Sulayem wants drivers to just shut up and race. But in today’s world, should we really be trying to turn racing drivers into robots who can’t speak their minds?
The biggest worry is that the FIA might start treating any criticism as “verbal misconduct.” In a sport that’s already pretty controlling, these new rules could make things really uncomfortable for everyone involved.
