The FIA continues to tighten the screws, imposing sometimes heavy fines and even race bans for repeated misconduct by drivers
The FIA has issued a series of new guidelines for punishment, which could result in drivers being fined or having points deducted for swearing or other violations of the sporting code.
It should be seen as a continuation of FIA President Mohammed bin Sulayem’s controversial call from last season for Formula One drivers to limit their use of swear words. An updated version of the FIA Sports Code was published on Wednesday and contains guidelines for violations of Article 12, in particular with regard to misconduct.
The governing body defines misconduct as “the general use of language (written or oral), gestures and/or signs that are offensive, abusive, gross, rude or defamatory” or perceived as such.
In addition, “assault (elbow strikes, kicks, punches)” and “incitement to any of the above behaviors” are included in the definition of misconduct.
Fines of up to 120,000 euros
A first offense is punishable by a basic fine of 10,000 euros, although these basic fines are multiplied by a factor of four for Formula One drivers, bringing the penalty to 40,000 euros. The second violation will result in a fine of €20,000 (€80,000 in Formula One) and a one-month ban.
A further violation will result in a fine of €30,000 (€120,000 in Formula One) and a one-month ban plus the deduction of championship points.
Similar penalties will be imposed for “words, deeds or writings that have caused moral damage to the FIA, its organs, its members or its officers” or, more generally, harm to the interests of motorsport, as well as “any public incitement to violence or hatred”.
FIA threatens exclusion from events
In addition, tougher penalties will be imposed if “the FIA’s instructions regarding the appointment and participation of persons in official ceremonies at a competition that is part of an FIA championship are not followed”.
Here, a fine starts at 15,000 euros and rises to 30,000 euros for a further violation. In addition, you will then be excluded “from access to the reserved areas of the event for the next event”. This can include everything from the track to the paddock and parc fermé to the media areas.
A third violation will be punished with a fine of €45,000 and a six-month ban from the defined reserved areas. Again, the fines for Formula One drivers are multiplied by four.
In other world championships, such as rallying and endurance racing, the basic penalties are multiplied by a factor of three, while FIA regional championships receive a factor of two. Other series that do not fall under this definition, such as the national Formula 4 championships, receive the basic penalties.
In addition, the International Sporting Code has been given additional clauses that provide for violations of the environmental guidelines set by the umbrella organization. There are also further additions for inadmissible protests. A protest must now be requested individually for each topic. The sporting code stipulates that “any protest against a decision of the race commissioners is inadmissible”.
