It’s been clear that drivers, team executives and fans hate the FIA’s sudden crackdown on pronity during Formula 1 race weekends. Since the change last September, the sport’s global governing body has only doubled down on its stance by stiffening penalties for repeat offenders to include points deductions and month-long suspensions. Williams driver Carlos Sainz could be the next to be slapped with a fine for foul language after an outburst during a press conference in Bahrain on Thursday. The Spaniard was complaining about a fine received for arriving late to the national anthem before last Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix.
The FIA’s race stewards initially fined Sainz €60,000 ($67,400) for not being at his assigned place at the front of the grid at the scheduled time for the national anthem. The fine was reduced to €10,000 (($11,200) after he stated he was experiencing stomach issues and a doctor verified his story. After acknowledging that he could be fined again, the Williams driver expressed frustration over the ridiculous situation. According to Racer, Sainz said:
“But yeah, I don’t know if I’m going to get another fine for saying this, but s**t happens! It’s the way it is. It’s the way it goes sometimes. It is €10,000. I mean, you guys know what €10,000 is here. And for five seconds, it’s disappointing.”
The FIA’s leadership is crumbling apart
Yes, Sainz claims he was five seconds late. For viewers watching the pre-race ceremonies at home, there wasn’t a way to tell that Sainz was late. All the cameras were understandably focused on Yuki Tsunoda, who was just moments away from making his race debut with Red Bull Racing in his home race. In fact, most of the drivers were hidden from view by a row of delegates, including F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and Princess Akiko of Mikasa, the Emperor’s second cousin. A photograph from behind during the anthem was the only way I could prove that Sainz was there, showing how inconsequential this incident was.
The Sainz’s outbreak comes as the FIA’s current leadership is crumbling apart. FIA Deputy President Robert Reid resigned on Thursday with expectations that he will run against FIA President Mohammed Ben Suleyam in the scheduled election later this year. Reid and David Richards, chairman of Motorsport UK, weren’t allowed to attend a recent meeting of the FIA World Motorsport Council after they refused to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
International motorsport is fiercely pushing back against Ben Suleyam’s efforts to govern as an authoritarian. The head of Britain’s governing body has criticized the FIA President for doing the exact opposite of his 2021 campaign platform. The Emirati rally champion promised to be a hands-off President with a CEO transparently running the organization day-to-day. Instead, Natalie Robyn resigned as CEO in May 2024, 18 months after her appointment. She told the BBC this week that there was “a fundamental breakdown in governance standards within motorsport’s global governing body.” Only time will tell if the FIA’s national member organizations re-elect Ben Suleyam for a second term in December.
