The FIA has once again opted to change the rules mid-season, and this time, it has to do with the fines the race stewards can hand out to a driver in each race. In an effort to make drivers even more cautious when racing, the authority has increased the maximum fine amount to $1,057,000 each driver might have to pay. Given the same, RaceFans reported the reactions from drivers such as Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc.
Until the Qatar GP, the maximum fine was $264,400. As such, the latest limits mean the amount has quadrupled as authorities want to ensure drivers exercise extreme caution, no matter what. With such high fines, three of the current grid’s premier drivers had a lot to say.
Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, and Max Verstappen shocked by the stark raise in fine limits
There is little doubt that the high fine limits have come as a result of Hamilton opting to cross the track during a live race. While there was seemingly no harm in the actions by the Briton, the stewards still deemed the act ‘risky’ and illegal. However, none of the drivers is in favor of such high fines, despite the three premier drivers reacting differently to it, per a report from RaceFans.
“If touching a rear wing is €50k ($52k), then I would like to know what €1 million ($1.05 million) is.”- Max Verstappen.
“I have no idea about what deserves a €1 million penalty. I mean, some drivers are making less than that. So it’s a lot of money.”- Charles Leclerc.
“If they are going to be fining a million, let’s make sure that 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. So that’s the only way they’ll get that money from me.”- Lewis Hamilton.
With fines rising to such a mammoth amount, the number one question stands in the form of, ‘What does the FIA do with the fines they collect?’ and ‘What happens if a team or a driver does not pay their fines?’
How the FIA uses the fine money
When a team or a driver receives a fine, they have 48 hours to pay it. Should they fail to do so, the team remains suspended from the championship until they pay the fine. Once the FIA receives the fine money, they put it to good use via FIA’s Development Funds. Formed in 2008, the Motorsport Safety Development Funds are used to make improvements to on-track safety such as high-speed barriers, crash impact testing, and debris fences.
Additionally, the money goes to training race marshals and medical personnel starting from the grassroots level. Some of the money is also goes to promoting various road safety initiatives. While there was no clear justification by the FIA behind the move, it is probably in line with the authority’s intent to make the sport as safe as possible, keeping the drivers on alert at every moment.
