George Russell slams FIA’s €1 million fine, highlights poverty and other global issues

George Russell has spoken ill about the newly introduced fine cap limit for the drivers in Formula 1.

George Russell slams FIA’s €1 million fine, highlights poverty and other global issues

George Russell (via IMAGO)

The fine system in Formula 1 had not been amended for the past 12 years. The maximum fine limit in the past was capped at €250000 and was not changed any time soon. FIA claimed that due to the current requirements in motorsport, the fine cap was supposed to be amended.

FIA has now increased the fine cap to a whopping 1 Million euros from the old 250k euros. Despite the older fine cap, no driver on the grid was fined the maximum amount ever. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton each received a fine of €50000 for some actions within the track.

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In lieu of the new changes to the fine system, George Russell has criticized this decision from FIA. The Briton talked about transparency and understanding from FIA in the sport. Referring to Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton’s fines, he called out FIA on the fine system and claimed that the fines were already getting out of control.

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We just want transparency and understanding, I think already the fines are getting out of control. You know how Verstappen got fined €50,000 for touching a car, Lewis being fined €50,000
Russell said, as reported by racingnews365.com.

The 25-year-old also felt that the fine numbers were ‘plucked out of thin air’ and were baseless. Russell even talked about the greater global issues that needed to be addressed such as world poverty and added that he failed to understand how FIA could fine such six or seven-figure numbers to the drivers.

It feels like these numbers have been plucked out of the air. There's a lot of greater global issues going on. So much poverty around the world. [I don't understand] how a federation can just make up these fines of six figures, seven-figure fines.

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Who pays the exorbitant amounts of fines in Formula 1?

George Russell discussed the payment of these petty fines. The Briton added that the big figured fines are usually paid by the team for the driver unless stated otherwise in the contract, it all depended on the contract of the driver with the team. Moreover, Russell mentioned the F1 super license fees.

Toto Wolff, Franz Tost, James Vowles and Alessandro Alunni Bravi in a press conference.
Toto Wolff, Franz Tost, James Vowles, and Alessandro Alunni Bravi in a press conference. (via F1)

The Super License is the license that is required to be renewed every year by the drivers. The License cost is directly proportional to the points scored by a driver in the season. Russell exclaimed that the majority of the drivers had to pay their own exorbitant amount of license fees already apart from the few.

The fine cap bump is definitely going to cause a hindrance in the drivers’ fees. 40% of the drivers are making less than the maximum fine cap and that needs to be addressed before the fine cap needs to be increased. The drivers on the grid might have a protested against the newly proposed fine system sooner or later.

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