Tag: FIA

FIA unveils ‘nimble car’ details of 2026 F1 regulations

The FIA has unveiled a major update in the 2026 Formula 1 technical regulations with a “nimble car” concept aimed at producing smaller, lighter machinery. The power unit regulations for 2026 were confirmed two seasons ago and helped attract new …

The FIA has unveiled a major update in the 2026 Formula 1 technical regulations with a “nimble car” concept aimed at producing smaller, lighter machinery.

The power unit regulations for 2026 were confirmed two seasons ago and helped attract new manufacturers into the sport, but the actual technical regulations for the chassis and aerodynamics have remained a work in progress. That’s partly due to the FIA wanting to adapt them to the demands of the power units — featuring a nearly 50:50 split of internal combustion and electrical propulsion — and has led to a number of radical solutions.

The cars are intended to have a minimum weight some 30kg lighter than the current 798kg (1759 lbs), while a shorter wheelbase — down from 3600mm to 3400mm — and reduction in width by 100mm are also key components in what the FIA calls its “nimble car” concept. The width of the tires has also been reduced by 25mm at the front and 30mm at the rear.

Active aerodynamics will see both the front and rear wings changing from high downforce settings — known as Z-mode — for corners, to a low drag configuration — X-mode — for the straights. That’s to make more efficient use of the greater electrical energy from the power unit, with 350kw of power available from the battery and a reduction to around 400kw from the ICE that will be powered by a 100% sustainable fuel.

As the aerodynamics are set to be available to all drivers on every lap, in place of DRS the FIA is also introducing a “manual override” feature that will deliver maximum electrical energy deployment at higher speeds for a following car.

The FIA also says cars will feature a partially flat floor and lower-powered diffuser “which will reduce the ground effect and reduce the reliance of the cars on ultra-stiff and low setups.”

The new technical regulations are set to be ratified by the World Motor Sport Council on June 28, although teams are not allowed to work on aerodynamic development — with those rules still to be refined — until Jan. 1, 2025.

“Today, the FIA is defining a hugely exciting future for the pinnacle of motorsport with the launch of a comprehensive new set of regulations for the 2026 FIA Formula 1 championship and beyond,” FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said. “Following the publication of 2026 power unit regulations two years ago we have taken the opportunity to redefine the chassis regulations to match the energy requirement of the new power units. Collaborating with our partners at Formula 1 and with the assistance of the sport’s 10 teams and all our stakeholders this represents a unique revision that will ensure our premier championship is even more relevant to what is happening in the world.

“The power unit regulations have already resulted in a record number of PU manufacturers committing to the sport. And now, in tandem with chassis regulations that provide for lighter, more agile cars featuring innovative aerodynamic solutions, we have created a set of regulations designed to not only improve racing but also to make the championship even more attractive to PU manufacturers, OEMs and existing competitors.

“The key features of the 2026 F1 regulations are advanced sustainability technology and safety. Our aim, together with Formula 1, was to produce a car that was right for the future of the sport’s elite category. We believe we have achieved that goal.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1388]

F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali agrees with Ben Sulayem that all key stakeholders have worked well together on the new regulations, that will again see all teams designing new cars under a cost cap.

“These regulations mark a significant moment in the future of our sport as we look forward to a new generation of car and power unit that aims to give our fans closer and exciting racing,” Domenicali said.

“The new sustainably fueled hybrid power unit presents a huge opportunity for the global automotive industry — the drop in fuel has the potential to be used by cars around the world and dramatically cut emissions. Its potential is one of the key reasons why we will have a record number of engine suppliers in Formula 1 in 2026.

“We enter this new regulatory cycle with the sport in the strongest position it has ever been, and I am confident that the work done by the FIA to create these regulations will further strengthen the position of the sport around the world.”

Hamilton backs Wolff legal action due to lack of accountability, transparency at FIA

Lewis Hamilton says there is no transparency or accountability at the FIA and hopes Susie Wolff’s legal action against the governing body will lead to change. Wolff has filed a criminal complaint in French courts after statements made by the FIA in …

Lewis Hamilton says there is no transparency or accountability at the FIA and hopes Susie Wolff’s legal action against the governing body will lead to change.

Wolff has filed a criminal complaint in French courts after statements made by the FIA in December that she claims called her integrity into question, relating to a potential conflict of interest investigation including the F1 Academy managing director and her husband Toto. Hamilton suggests recent developments involving FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner — who were both cleared after internal investigations — shows there needs to be external influence on certain matters.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1388]

“Firstly, I’m incredibly proud of Susie,” Hamilton said. “I think she is so brave, and she stands for such great values. She’s such a leader, and in a world where often people are silenced, for her to be standing up sends such a great message.

“I love that she’s taken it out of this world, fighting it from the outside, because there is a real lack of accountability here, within this sport, within the FIA — things that are happening behind closed doors, there is no transparency, there is really no accountability, and we need that. I think the fans need that. How can you trust the sport and what is happening here if you don’t have that?”

The FIA’s Ethics Committee announced on Wednesday night that it had cleared Ben Sulayem of any wrongdoing after allegations from a whistleblower regarding potential interference into F1 events, while at Red Bull the complainant against Horner has taken the matter to the governing body, having been suspended on full pay earlier this month.

“Hopefully this stand that [Wolff’s] taking now will create change, will have a positive impact, and especially for women,” Hamilton said. “It is still a male-dominated sport, and we’re living in a time where the message is if you file a complaint, you will be fired, and that is a terrible narrative to be projecting to the world, especially when we’re talking about inclusivity here in the sport. We need to make sure we stay true to the core values.”

When he and Mercedes teammate George Russell were asked if they are confident that Ben Sulayem is the right man to lead the FIA and has their backing, Hamilton said off-microphone: “He never has.”

For his part, Russell called for an explanation of the facts around recent investigations, admitting it’s tough to not be skeptical when attempts are made to keep them private.

“I think as drivers, we have a role within the teams, and you trust that the leaders in this sport have the best interests at their heart rather than their own interests,” Russell said. “I think it goes back to the transparency side of things. If things are transparent and we see the outcome of these cases, we all have a chance to judge for ourself with all of the facts and figures in front of us. But when we don’t have the facts and figures, and there is no transparency, you always think there’s something being hidden.

“That’s why I think it’s so important for the sport now, as Lewis said, to send the right message to everybody who is supporting Formula 1, watching Formula 1, wants to be involved in Formula 1, that things aren’t just swept under the carpet.”

Horner complainant appeals grievance dismissal – reports

The complainant against Christian Horner, who accused the Red Bull team principal of inappropriate behavior, has appealed the decision to dismiss her grievance, according to multiple reports. Horner was subject to an investigation throughout the …

The complainant against Christian Horner, who accused the Red Bull team principal of inappropriate behavior, has appealed the decision to dismiss her grievance, according to multiple reports.

Horner was subject to an investigation throughout the first part of this year due to allegations relating to his behavior, but after a months-long process Red Bull GmbH opted to dismiss the grievance.

The female employee — who has since been suspended on full pay by Red Bull for what RACER understands to be inaccuracies and concerns relating to the evidence given in the original investigation — was told at the time that she had a right of appeal, and both the BBC and Press Association report that option has now been taken up.

Speaking at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Horner had said Red Bull was moving on from the investigation following the initial outcome.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1388]

“The reality is that there was a grievance that was raised,” Horner said. “It was dealt with in the most professional manner by the group, not by Red Bull Racing, but by the owners of Red Bull Racing, Red Bull GmbH, that appointed an independent KC that is one of the most reputable KCs in the land.

“He took time to investigate fully, all of the facts. He interviewed all of the people involved, together with others of interest. He looked at everything. He had all of the facts. And he came to a conclusion where he dismissed the grievance. As far as I’m concerned, as far as Red Bull is concerned, we move on and we look to the future.”

The BBC also reports that the complainant has lodged an official complaint with the FIA’s Ethics Committee, although the governing body states it cannot discuss specific situations, despite raising the subject of a potential transfer of information of a confidential nature between an F1 team principal and a member of Formula One Management (FOM) personnel in December.

“At the FIA, enquiries and complaints are received and managed by the Compliance Officer, and the Ethics Committee where appropriate,” an FIA statement read. “Both bodies operate autonomously, guaranteeing strict confidentiality throughout the process. As a consequence, and in general, we are unable to confirm the receipt of any specific complaint and it is unlikely that we will be able to provide further comment on the complaints that we may receive from any parties.”

Red Bull GmbH has been approached for comment by RACER.

Monchaux named new FIA single-seater technical director

Former Sauber technical director Jan Monchaux has been named the FIA’s new single- eater technical director, replacing Tim Goss. Multiple departures were confirmed by the FIA last month, with one of them being Goss who is going to join Visa Cash App …

Former Sauber technical director Jan Monchaux has been named the FIA’s new single- eater technical director, replacing Tim Goss.

Multiple departures were confirmed by the FIA last month, with one of them being Goss who is going to join Visa Cash App RB later this year as chief technical officer. His replacement in the FIA’s single seater department has now been confirmed, with Monchaux joining the governing body after a career that included spells at Toyota and Ferrari before he returned to Sauber in 2018 after a stint with Audi.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1388]

“I am very happy to be joining the FIA as technical director and look forward to the fresh challenges this role entails,” Monchaux said. “I have worked on the competitors’ side for many years, but now the opportunity to help shape the future of the sport with the governing body is a prospect I relish.”

The Frenchman will report to FIA single seater director Nikolas Tombazis, who says Monchaux will have a key influence on the 2026 regulations in Formula 1.

“I am excited to welcome Jan to the FIA to fulfil an important role in the technical department, and in framing the future regulations of the sport,” Tombazis said. “Jan’s arrival will strengthen our extensive technical expertise.”

Monchaux had been working as a pundit an analyst in F1 towards the end of the 2023 season, having been replaced as the then Alfa Romeo technical director by James Key in June of last year.

Formula 1 officially rejects Andretti bid for entry in 2025-26

Andretti responded to the news by asserting it “strongly disagrees” with the decision and that it is continuing development of its F1 program.

Andretti Cadillac had hopes for a recent Formula 1 entry when it was approved by the FIA last year, but now, they’ve run into a roadblock — while the FIA wants them in Formula 1, Formula 1 itself does not.

Formula 1 Management, or FOM for short, rejected Andretti’s bid to join the sport in either 2025 or 2026, per Chris Medland of RACER. FOM did, however, leave the door open for a 2028 entry when General Motors plans to enter the sport as a power unit manufacturer. That, however, would be two years into new regulations for Formula 1.

F1’s statement seemed to imply numerous things they deemed wrong with Andretti’s bid. Not only did FOM say that they did not think Andretti’s brand would be beneficial to F1, but they also did not seem to think Andretti would be competitive enough for the sport.

The most significant way in which a new entrant would bring value is by being competitive. We do not believe that the Applicant, [Andretti Formula Racing, LLC], would be a competitive participant,” F1 said Wednesday.

Andretti, of course, responded to the news, and it appears they don’t plan to take it without a fight. Andretti Cadillac said in a statement that it “strongly disagrees” with the decision and that it plans to continue developing its Formula 1 program.

What happens next is unclear, but there is a possibility that the matter could be resolved in court. Andretti has met the requirements of FOM’s Concorde Agreement between the FIA and FOM signed in 2021, which allows for up to 12 teams with a $200 million entry fee for the series. In theory, Andretti could bring the issue to court as a potential anti-competition violation.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=10]

Malyon new FIA sporting director as Goss is latest to leave

The FIA has announced Tim Malyon as its new sporting director replacing Steve Nielsen, while Tim Goss is leaving his role of single-seater technical director of the governing body, after a year in the position. Malyon was already part of the FIA …

The FIA has announced Tim Malyon as its new sporting director replacing Steve Nielsen, while Tim Goss is leaving his role of single-seater technical director of the governing body, after a year in the position.

Malyon was already part of the FIA having been safety director and worked on the establishment of the Remote Operations Center (ROC) in Geneva. The former Jaguar, Red Bull, and Sauber engineer takes over from Nielsen, with the former Formula 1 sporting director leaving his role at the end of January.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1388]

“I am delighted to be taking on the role of sporting director,” Malyon said. “We have already brought significant change to our race direction operation with the support of the ROC and I look forward to taking that to the next level. We are also committed to a broad regulatory review of sporting matters, and I look forward to applying a sharper focus to those efforts in the future.”

Malyon’s promotion was welcomed by the FIA’s single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis, who also paid tribute to Nielsen for his work over the past year.

“I am excited to welcome Tim to the role of single-seater sporting director,” Tombazis said. “Tim has a wealth of motorsport experience and expertise at the highest level. He will play a major role as we continue to bring rigor to our sporting and regulatory practices and procedures, and he will drive the innovation we have brought to our Race Control operation.

“Tim has been pivotal in creating a strong synergy between Race Control and the ROC with the introduction of new technology including artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art data analysis and processing systems. He will continue to oversee advances in that area as well as taking the lead on the evolution of FIA sporting regulations.

“Steve has been a fantastic asset to the single-seater department over the course of the 2023 Formula 1 season and has been part of a crucial year of development and positive steps forward in our activities. There is, of course, still a lot to do, and we will be building on these strong foundations over the coming years. We wish Steve the best for his next challenge.”

The BBC reports Nielsen felt the FIA was not willing to make the changes required to improve its race control operations, having been seen as a major hire by the governing body 12 months ago following five years at F1.

“I’d like to thank the FIA for the opportunity to work on the regulatory side of the sport, which has been a fantastic experience for me over the past year,” Nielsen said. “The FIA team working in Formula 1 are a hugely passionate, dedicated group of people who work incredibly hard to achieve the best outcomes for the sport, and I am sure that the positive work that we have done together already will continue into the future.”

As well as Nielsen’s departure, the FIA will need a new technical director in its single-seater department. The former McLaren technical director already has another opportunity in place, with the FIA confirming he will be moving to a position outside of the federation.

“We are disappointed to lose a person of Tim’s calibre from the organization,” Tombazis added. “Tim has played a major part in the technical department and has always operated to the highest level. We understand that his career is taking a new direction going forward and we support and respect his desire to pursue another path, and wish him luck for his future endeavors.”

Goss took over from Tombazis in January 2023 as the latter became single-seater director, but is the third high-profile name to leave the FIA in recent months following sporting director Nielsen, and Deborah Mayer who was head of the women in motorsport commission.

“It’s been an honor to work as technical director at the FIA and to help shape the future of the sport,” Goss said. “I take immense pride and satisfaction from the numerous achievements of the technical department during my stint at the FIA. The department boasts a number of highly-talented individuals and I believe the organization is on a firm footing in terms of technical expertise for the tasks which lie ahead – particularly the introduction of the 2026 regulations. I leave with fond memories of my time with the FIA.”

FIA ends investigation into Wolffs as blowback ensues

The FIA has made a rapid about-turn after announcing that it was investigating a conflict of interest complaint involving F1 Academy head Susie Wolff, and has dropped the matter after just two days. The governing body announced on Tuesday that it …

The FIA has made a rapid about-turn after announcing that it was investigating a conflict of interest complaint involving F1 Academy head Susie Wolff, and has dropped the matter after just two days.

The governing body announced on Tuesday that it was looking into allegations that confidential information relating to Formula One Media – which owns the commercial rights to both F1 and F1 Academy – had been passed between Wolff and Mercedes F1 team boss Toto Wolff, who is Susie’s husband. Wolff also had access to information about conversations between team principals, which in turn could be of value to FOM. That investigation ended abruptly on Thursday.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1388]

When initially announcing its investigation, the FIA said that its compliance department had taken on the matter based on “media speculation,” which appeared to be a report in one UK-based publication. The Wolffs were not named in the FIA’s initial statement, but were quickly linked to the matter in subsequent media reporting, which the Wolffs suggested was the product of off-the-record briefing.

Formula 1 and Susie Wolff immediately responded with statements rejecting the claims, as did Mercedes, which also took aim at the FIA’s handling of the issue. One day later, all 10 Formula 1 teams coordinated to issue identical statements denying that they had made a conflict of interest complaint to the FIA —  directly undermining the FIA’s justification for its investigation, which it said was rooted in reports of rival teams being concerned about the Wolffs’ relationship in light of their jobs — and throwing their support behind the couple:

“We can confirm that we have not made any complaint to the FIA regarding the allegation of information of a confidential nature being passed between an F1 Team Principal and a member of FOM staff,” the statement read. “We are pleased and proud to support F1 Academy and its managing director through our commitment to sponsor an entrant in our liveries from next season.”

The FIA remained light on specifics when it backed down on Thursday, saying only that it had revisited FOM’s code of conduct and conflict of interest policies, and had satisfied itself that “FOM’s compliance management system is robust enough to prevent any unauthorized disclosure of confidential information.” It concluded by confirming that there is “no ongoing investigation.”

While the FIA considers the matter over, Mercedes has confirmed that it is in “active legal exchange” with the FIA.

“We await full transparency about what took place and why, and have expressly reserved all legal rights,” said Toto Wolff. “Therefore we ask for your understanding that we will not be commenting officially for now, but we will certainly address the matter in due course.”

In a separate statement, Susie Wolff expressed her own anger about the handling of the matter and said she had been subjected to significant online abuse as a result of it — ironically on the same day the FIA released a report on its website proclaiming “alarming” results from a survey in which 90% of its member federations agree that sporting figures are at risk of withdrawing due to online abuse, with the governing body urging collaborative action to combat such abuse.

“When I saw the statement issued by the FIA yesterday evening, my first reaction was: ‘Is that it?'” she said. “For two days, insinuations have been made about my integrity in public and through background briefings, but nobody from the FIA has spoken to me directly.

“I might have been collateral damage in an unsuccessful attack on somebody else, or the target of a failed attempt to discredit me personally, but I have worked too hard to have my reputation called into question by an unfounded press release.

“I have received online abuse about my work and my family. I will not allow myself to be intimidated and intend to follow up until I have found out who has instigated this campaign and misled the media,”

Meanwhile, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem –whose relationship with FOM and Liberty Media had been tumultuous even before this latest incident — is receiving treatment in hospital after sustaining a concussion in a fall.

“Several days ago the president took ill and suffered a fall and concussion,” read a statement issued by an FIA spokesperson. “He received care in hospital and will make a full recovery.”

The exact timing of Ben Sulayem’s accident remains vague; however, he tweeted a video from the opening day of the 2023 FIA General Assemblies in Baku on Tuesday. That video has since been deleted.

F1 and Extreme E form Hydrogen Working Group with the FIA

The FIA, Formula 1 and Extreme H – the championship currently known as Extreme E – have joined forces to establish a joint Hydrogen Working Group. The group will monitor the progress of the development of hydrogen technology, namely fuel cells and …

The FIA, Formula 1 and Extreme H — the championship currently known as Extreme E — have joined forces to establish a joint Hydrogen Working Group.

The group will monitor the progress of the development of hydrogen technology, namely fuel cells and battery systems for vehicle applications in motorsport and wider mobility, as well as race site infrastructure, transportation, charging, storage and management, and all safety implications.

Forming the group will be representatives from all three organizations, Extreme E technical director Mark Grain, F1’s chief technical officer Pat Symonds and Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA single-seater director.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=5858]

“Our sport has a tradition of bringing new technologies to the forefront of public perception in incredibly short timescales,” said Symonds. “We do this by being open-minded to all solutions and embracing cross-functional engineering. With climate change mitigation at the forefront of everyone’s mind we are committed to promoting sustainability and therefore need to explore all areas of decarbonization of the mobility sector.

“This must include sustainable liquid hydrocarbon fuels, electrification and hydrogen. This Working Group enables a collaboration which will allow us to gain first-hand experience and contribute to the understanding and development of the many aspects of hydrogen propulsion that Extreme H will embrace.”

Tombazis added: “As the governing body for both the FIA Formula 1 World Championship and the upcoming FIA Extreme H Championship in 2025, we welcome this latest collaboration.

“The FIA Technical Department has experience and knowhow in the area of hydrogen technology which we will bring to the Working Group along with sporting, safety and regulatory expertise. As is currently the case across the entire FIA motorsport portfolio, we will take learnings from this collaboration for the benefit of our sport and mobility.”

News of the Hydrogen Working Group’s formation comes after confirmation that Extreme H will have FIA championship status for its first season in 2025, before becoming a full world championship a year later.

“It’s a privilege to be working alongside Formula 1 and the FIA as we continue to develop our world-first hydrogen racing proposition,” said Grain, who is leading the development of Extreme H’s next-generation race car as it transitions to becoming the first fully hydrogen-powered motorsport series. “Our transition to Extreme H makes us the pioneers and first-ever testbed of hydrogen technology in motorsport — not only in our racing cars, but also transportation, infrastructure, refueling processes and safety regulations.

“It’s a ground-breaking initiative and we look forward to collaborating with Formula 1 and Pat [Symonds] both technically and operationally, as we continue to champion new technologies and break boundaries on behalf of motorsport, with hydrogen at the forefront.”

The formation of the Working Group, however, will not spell an imminent move to hydrogen fuel cells for F1, primarily because Formula E holds exclusive rights to create a hydrogen fuel cell single-seater series. However, there could be other benefits from Extreme E’s ongoing work that could benefit F1.

“We’re already a long way down the road with already a long way down the road with helping FIA to understand the requirements of hydrogen, but then also how we transport hydrogen,” Grain told media including RACER at last weekend’s Copper X Prix in Chile. “How we power the paddock, for example — that might be something that Formula 1 could look to move into in the future.

“I predict their plans, but we do that in harshest environments, they’ve got the benefit of tarmac and all of that easy stuff. So, that will be another opportunity, to come and look at how we run our paddock and the infrastructure that they could carry over into that world.”

Speaking of the idea behind the formation of the group, Extreme H founder and CEO Alejandro Agag said that uncertainty surrounding the best direction of the future of motorsport was a key reason for establishing a link between the burgeoning series and F1.

“My idea, or my pitch to Formula 1 was to say, listen, you don’t know which technology is going to be the one — no one knows,” he said. “For the moment they are betting on synthetic fuels, which is fine, but hydrogen is going to be one technology that could be the future, part of the equation. So why don’t we do a group in which basically, you keep an eye on it?

“So that is all that it is; there is no more, there is no less. It’s for Formula 1 to be able to keep an eye on what’s going to happen here. And what’s gonna happen here is we’re going to have the first — and I think for quite a while — the only pure hydrogen world championship racing.”

But as well as the obvious technical benefits of the collaboration, Agag suggests that Extreme E and Extreme H teams — of which several already have links to Formula 1 such as McLaren, and teams owned by the likes of F1 champions Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, and potential F1 entrant Andretti — could benefit commercially from the association.

“That’s also one of the really interesting angles of this partnership is to open commercial opportunities for our teams,” said Agag. “Some of our teams are doing OK, some of our teams are doing so-so, but to give them this unique selling point — and also for the championship itself — to have a unique selling point of hydrogen is very important. But to have the link with Formula 1 is commercially very important because there is no motorsport organization commercially stronger than Formula 1.”

F1 drivers angered by maximum fine increase to over $1m

Formula 1 drivers have voiced their anger at the FIA increasing the maximum fine it can hand out in the sport to over $1 million. The latest meeting of the World Motor Sport Council saw the FIA amend the previous limit of €250,000 ($264,000) that is …

Formula 1 drivers have voiced their anger at the FIA increasing the maximum fine it can hand out in the sport to over $1 million.

The latest meeting of the World Motor Sport Council saw the FIA amend the previous limit of €250,000 ($264,000) that is specified in the International Sporting Code (ISC) to three separate amounts. In F1 that limit has been increased to €1m ($1.06m), while in all other FIA world championships it is now €750,000 ($793,000) and in all other FIA championships, cups, trophies, challenges or series it is €500,000 ($529,000).

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1388]

While the ISC also states “a Competitor shall be responsible for the payment of any fine inflicted on their Drivers, assistants, passengers, etc.,” different teams take different approaches, and George Russell warns the new total heavily exceeds what many drivers are paid in the early years of their career.

“I think it’s pretty ridiculous that a driver could be fined a million euros,” Russell said. “In my first year of Formula 1, I was on a five-figure salary, and actually lost over six figures in that first year for paying for my trainer, paying for flights, paying for an assistant, and that’s probably the case for 25% of the grid.

“We’re doing what we love, so we’re not complaining about that. But if you take a year one driver who probably by the end of the year is losing over 100,000 euros because of the investment he has to make, you fine him a million, what’s going to happen? We’ve requested before from the FIA to hear where those fines are going towards, what causes they’re going to. It needs to be reinvested into grass roots, but so far, we’ve had no response on where that’s going.

“We’d love to get some clarity and transparency, and if they truly believe a million euro fine is worthwhile, and it’s going to re-invest into the sport, then maybe one of the drivers who is being paid a lot is happy to pay that fine. But it seems obscene.”

Russell believes the FIA’s recent fine amounts have already been causing concern among the drivers.

“We just want transparency and understanding,” he said. “Already the fines are getting out of control. Verstappen being fined 50,000 euros for touching a car, Lewis [Hamilton] being fined 50,000, it feels like these numbers are being plucked out of the air.

“It doesn’t make our sport very… there’s a lot of greater global issues going on, so much poverty around the world — how a federation can just make up these fines, six figure, seven figure fines.

“I don’t know what you’d have to do to get a fine of a million euros. I don’t know of any sport or profession outside of the corporate world, what you can do to be fined that amount. As I said, for me, it sounds obscene, and there needs to be a lot more transparency to understand where these fines are going.”

Teammate Lewis Hamilton agreed, stating the only way he’s willing to accept such a fine is if it is clear with the money is going to be used.

“When it comes to things like this, we do need to be thinking about the message that sends out to those that are watching,” Hamilton said. “If they are going to be fining a million, let’s make sure 100% of that goes to a cause.

“There’s a lot of money in this whole industry, and there’s a lot more that we need to do in terms of creating better accessibility, better diversity, more opportunities for people who wouldn’t normally have a chance to get into a sport like this, so many causes around the world. That’s the only way they’ll get that million from me.”

Kevin Magnussen joked he wouldn’t be able to pay such a fine, adding: “I don’t know what offense it is to be a million, but that sounds ridiculous. Charles (Leclerc) can give his watch! I would disappear, never to be found again.”

Alex Albon said the FIA is overestimating what a driver can afford to pay by raising the limit to such an amount.

“I wonder how it’s going to work out because I think there’s such an unknown knowledge about the sacrifices F1 drivers make,” Albon said. “We are quite popular people, we travel around the world a lot, we get noticed a lot, we do need a group of people around us in a lot of cases.

“But I think people wouldn’t realize especially the first two, three or four years of being a Formula 1 driver, the salaries are nothing like what people actually think they are. It would be a tough fine if you were to get into debt!

“Of course we already pay our Super License fees that are already extremely expensive. I don’t know a sport where you have to pay yourself to enter it — that in itself seems a little bit different to most sports. So in the end if they are going to raise that to a million then they are in some ways targeting three or four drivers because nobody else could actually afford that.”

WEC adopts new, two-part qualifying format

The FIA World Endurance Championship will utilize a new two-part qualifying system from 2024, following approval at the third FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting of 2023 in Geneva. The new “enhanced” system, which will be used for both the …

The FIA World Endurance Championship will utilize a new two-part qualifying system from 2024, following approval at the third FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting of 2023 in Geneva.

The new “enhanced” system, which will be used for both the Hypercar class and the new LMGT3 category, will be split into two parts. Each class will take to the track for a 12-minute session followed by a 10-minute-long Hyperpole session for the 10 fastest cars.

Like the current system, which features 15-minute sessions for Hypercar, LMP2 and GTE Am, each class will qualify separately. To this point, “Hyperpole” has only featured at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

At the meeting — which was chaired by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem with FIA Deputy President for Sport Robert Reid and WMSC members joining in person at the FIA’s offices in Geneva and via video conference — the technical regulations for the new-for-2024 LMGT3 class were also approved.

The new GT class will be based on the FIA’s existing GT3 technical platform and replace the outgoing GTE AM class. The cars will feature several WEC-specific adaptations such as luminescent number panels, leader lights and torque meter sensors.