Are the new FIA ‘misconduct’ punishments too extreme?

The FIA has introduced stewards’ penalty guidelines for the 2025 which include severe punishments for drivers, including those racing in F1.

As laid out in Appendix B of the FIA’s updated international sporting code (ISC), drivers can now receive bans and championship points deductions for indiscretions such as repeated swearing and speaking negatively about the governing body.

Offences will also see considerable fines, with a multiplier used for different series’ gradings. This means F1 drivers will have to pay four times the base rate.

It is a striking move by the FIA, after it had already come under scrutiny towards the end of last season over its handling of swearing, particularly in the case of Max Verstappen at the Singapore Grand Prix.

The aftermath of that episode culminated in the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) releasing a statement aimed at FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, calling on him to treat the drivers in F1 “like adults”.

The latest development has the potential to re-ignite that flame of discontent, given the severity of stewards’ guidelines and the possible implications.

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