Toto Wolff has lashed out at the FIA’s decision to increase maximum fines for F1 drivers to €1m.
The International Sporting Code was tweaked ahead of this weekend’s F1 United States Grand Prix, most notably amending a regulation that hadn’t been touched for 12 years.
It enables FIA stewards to dish out fines to F1 drivers to a maximum of €1m, which has quadrupled from €250,000 under the latest changes.
Mercedes team principal Wolff said:
“There needs to be some deterrent for grave infringements of the regulations.
“But none of that was on the radar of anyone, that it would be coming.
“1 million euros? We need to check the facts with reality to find out whether this fine is adequate or not.
“I don’t think we have ever imposed a fine of 250,000 euros on a driver , so raising the limit is something
“We don’t want to introduce Formula 1 in a world where it’s difficult to fine drivers millions of euros.”
“I think half the network won’t be able to pay them.”
“I don’t think it’s appropriate considering that.” I don’t think we should play with these numbers, they seem very bizarre to people watching.”
Mercedes’ George Russell previously said:
“I think it’s ridiculous for a person to drive could be fined one million euros.
“In my first year in Formula 1, I had a five-figure salary. In fact, I lost more than six figures in my first year paying the coach, paying the flights, paying the salary to the assistant.
“That’s probably the problem. case for 25 percent of the network.
“We do what we love so we don’t complain about it.
“But if you choose one driver a year, this person will probably lose more than 100,000 € at the end of the year because of the investment he has to make, [then] you fine them a million euros. What is going to happen? »
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