FIA president gives stern response after backlash to €1 million driver fines
The FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has big plans for F1's future.
Don’t like it? Tough. That has essentially been FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s response to drivers complaining about the maximum fine being raised.
The maximum a driver could be fined was raised from €250k to €1 million recently and almost every driver was against it.
With two drivers on the grid earning less than that in a year, many thought it was extortionate, but the FIA do not see it that way.
FIA defend driver fine price hike
Ben Sulayem is not a man who is unfamiliar with controversy. Earlier this year he upset FOM [Formula One Management] by suggesting the sport was worth far lower than what was being offered, with his latest comments unlikely to prove popular with the Formula 1 drivers.
In response to the fines being raised, he said any driver concerned about such a high amount should simply not do anything against the rules.
“The price of everything has gone up,” he told the media, as per Speedcafe.com.
“The teams are now talking about billions in terms of what each team is worth, and we’ve still not improved our regulations dating back to Jurassic Park.
“We are not saying ‘Go and pay’. We are saying ‘Don’t make these unnecessary penalties’. If you don’t do it, you won’t get it. Nobody will impose something on you if you follow the rules.
“The rules are there to be policed and to be implemented.”
The Emirati did, however, refuse to say what could constituent such a big fine.
“Stick to the rules, and nobody will say anything, nobody will charge you anything,” he said. “People are over-exaggerating about this.
“And if anyone is penalised, where does the money go? To grassroots (motorsport), investment back into the sport.
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“I hope they can make life easier for our stewards by sticking to the rules instead of misbehaving.
“We obviously don’t want them to reach that [€1m], so we’re saying don’t do it. The rules are there, they’re transparent. We have nothing to hide.
“But I cannot tell you why the one million would be implemented. That’s for the stewards, not the president.
“The stewards are there, they are experienced, and they know what to do. And the drivers, they are very intelligent. They know about the rules before they jump in the car.”
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