A multitude of Formula 1 drivers have voiced their distress over the FIA quadrupling the maximum fine they can impose to 1m euros.
F1’s governing body said ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix that it would be increasing their maximum fine from 250,000 euros to 1m.
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen said the figure “sounds ridiculous”, while Alpha Tauri’s Daniel Ricciardo said it was “scary.
“I have no idea what deserves a 1m euros penalty,” said Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
The higher fine is planned to be a deterrent to stop drivers and teams from breaching FIA regulations, they highlighted that any money collected goes to funding motorsport development programmes.
Double world champion Max Verstappen during the 2021 Sao Paulo Grand Prix for touching Lewis Hamilton’s rear wing and referenced the incident in Thursday’s press conference.
“If touching a rear wing is $50k, I would like to know what a million is,” he said.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso said: “It sounds not appropriate. It is the first news I had coming from you, so I need to understand better, but we are in a sport that is already considered very elite, very closed.
“We are raising some topics about sustainability, environment, we are all trying to do our sport to make this sport more accessible for everyone, so when you put this big numbers or something like that, it seems not right.”
The FIA came to its conclusion at a meeting of its legislative body, the World Motorsport Council on Thursday.
