Lewis Hamilton makes transparency demands as FIA raises maximum fine limit to $1 million

Hamilton says he would only pay that sum of amount if he knows the money is going to the right place.

Lewis Hamilton makes transparency demands as FIA raises maximum fine limit to $1 million

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)

The seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton reacted to the news of FIA raising the maximum fine for drivers from €250,000 to a million euros. Hamilton was fined €25,000 (£21,600) last week in Qatar after walking across a live track after crashing out with his teammate. Other drivers like the newly crowned triple World Champion Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc also didn’t welcome the FIA’s decision.

However, Hamilton believes he’d only pay that sum of amount if he knows the money is going to the right place. The Mercedes driver demanded transparency from the governing body. He demanded the FIA to make sure the money makes positive impacts in the world of motorsports.

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In the Thursday driver meeting, the Brit was found saying, “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.” He continued demanding the FIA, “If they are going to fine me a million, let’s make sure that 100% of that goes to a cause,” he said. “So that’s the only way they’ll get that money from me.”

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“There’s a lot of money in this whole industry,” said the P3 runner in the Driver’s Standings. Hamilton continues to be an iconic ambassador of the sport and wants every kid to dream the impossible and fulfill it.

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Other drivers’ reaction to FIA’s decision to raise the maximum fine limit

The FIA’s decision to increase the maximum fine limit didn’t sit well with everyone, including Lewis Hamilton. During the driver’s meeting, Charles Leclerc of Ferrari expressed his confusion, stating that he couldn’t fathom what warranted a €1 million penalty, considering that some drivers earn less than that, making it a substantial amount.

Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc (via Sky Sports F1)

Max Verstappen, now a three-time World Champion, playfully remarked that if a slight touch on a rear wing cost €50k, he was curious about what €1 million meant. In a related incident in Brazil in 2021, Verstappen received a €50,000 fine for lightly touching Hamilton’s Mercedes’ rear wing. This incident ignited tensions between the two closely competing teams in 2021.

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