2024 was one of the most competitive F1 seasons in recent times, and there was a lot of action, both on and off the track. FIA—the governing body of the sport—and its race officials were kept on their toes until the very end, with a total of 208 penalties being doled out. 51 of those included some sort of monetary punishment.
Auto Motor und Sport reported that the penalties imposed on drivers amounted to a total of €332,900 ($343,000 at current exchange rates). However, a part of those were suspended payments, which meant that the FIA’s actual collection was €270,400 ($280,000).
This was a substantial amount—reportedly three times the total accumulated in 2023—partly because the stewards started taking a stricter view of infringements in the 2024 campaign.
For example, drivers could be fined simply for swearing. Yuki Tsunoda experienced this firsthand at the Austrian GP, where he was fined €40,000 ($41,217) for using cuss words on the team radio, demonstrating the FIA’s strict stance.
In another incident, former Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz was fined €25,000 ($25,700) for crossing the track after suffering a crash in Q3 at the Marina Bay Circuit in Singapore. Lando Norris too, was asked to cough up €50,000 ($51,525) for a similar offense in Miami.
Additionally, the FIA changed the regulations to increase the maximum fines that could be imposed on F1 drivers. This change was made in 2023, raising the ceiling from €250,000 to €1 million.
Drivers call out the FIA on lack of financial transparency
The FIA’s heavy hand when it came to handing out financial penalties did not go unnoticed by drivers. The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GDPA)—a group comprised of existing F1 drivers to address common issues within the sport—wrote an open letter to President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, asking for a justification.
The drivers demanded financial transparency from the governing body of international motorsport. They criticized the lack of clarity regarding how the funds collected from penalties were used.
BREAKING: The GPDA release an open letter urging the FIA “to treat them like adults”#F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/NaErsNYJWi
— Fastest Pitstop (@FastestPitStop) November 7, 2024
Ben Sulayem quickly shut them down, stating that it was not their business to question how the FIA operated. However, he did provide a general overview of how the money collected by the FIA was used to promote grassroots motorsport worldwide. It is unlikely that drivers were happy with the response.
