Toto Wolff slams for ‘very surreal’ 1 million fine, says F1 needs a reality check

Mercedes team principal makes comments about the newly-introduced one million fine limit for drivers.

Toto Wolff slams for ‘very surreal’ 1 million fine, says F1 needs a reality check

Toto Wolff (via IMAGO)

The Mercedes team boss, Toto Wolff, supported his driver’s previous reactions about the increased maximum fine limit. The previous fine limit was raised from €250,000 to a million. Wolff believes the FIA needs a reality check after such an absurd decision. Other drivers like George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, and Kevin Magnussen have already criticized the federation’s decision and didn’t take driver input before implementing it.

The International Sporting Code of the FIA was responsible for making this decision. This decision has most certainly caught drivers and teams off-guard. This increase in fine limit will severely impact drivers who don’t even earn close to that amount in their entire season. This was previously stated by Charles Leclerc, Kevin Magnussen, and now Toto Wolff.

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He questioned the FIA if a driver has never received a €250K fine, what would cause them a million euro fine. He also raised concerns for the less-earning drivers on the grid. He believes this decision will affect the future racers and the audience alike.

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There need to be some punishments for big offenses of the regulations, but none of that was on the radar that it would be coming. I don't think we want to show Formula 1 like this out there, where it's easy enough to give drivers fines of a million, I think half of the grid wouldn't be able to pay them
Toto Wolff said as reported by

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack’s reaction to the raised maximum fine limit for the drivers

After several drivers and team principals raised their concerns about the unregulated fine limit, Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack was another name added. Aston Martin principal Mike Krack agreed with Wolff that the FIA “needs to come back to reality” with its fine hike.

Mike Krack (via PlanetF1)

He said even spectators who come to watch races must spend a lot of money on a single ticket. Krack compared these big numbers to when watching races was fun and affordable; now, it’s neither. 

I think we need to come back a little bit more to reality

Krack’s team, Aston Martin, has been on an ever-lasting downfall after the regular podium runs at the start of the season. They lost their P2 spot in the Constructor’s standings and slid down to P4, only 11 points away from the growing strong McLaren.