The steps the FIA must take to restore its authority inside and outside F1

It’s been obvious for a while that Formula 1 is riding a popularity wave. How high it reaches and how much distance it covers can’t be known. But with legions of new fans watching and attending races, plus new entry interest from many major manufacturers, it’s in an envious position in world sport.  

Liberty Media, as the commercial rights holder, has established its position as having made F1 bigger and better than ever before since taking over in 2017. At the same time, it is frustrated by the rules scandals that have cropped up of late. These are starting to mount and make no mistake: they tarnish F1’s image. 

In the aftermath of last weekend’s controversial Japanese Grand Prix – the circumstances and issues of which overshadowed Max Verstappen’s brilliant drive and world title triumph – the FIA and its procedures are firmly in the spotlight for some, crosshairs for others.  

PLUS: The confusion and controversy that should never overshadow Verstappen’s Suzuka magic

And this includes the revelations from the FIA’s Cost Cap Administration announcement that Red Bull “is considered to be in procedural and minor overspend breaches of the financial regulations” under the 2021 cost cap. Aston Martin was also pinged for a procedural breach. 

The final events of 2021 properly lit the touchpaper on objections to officiating calls in F1 – with the Belgian GP washout farce added in too. Attempts were commendably made to improve things ahead of the new campaign, but recent events, most notably at and after Suzuka, have revealed that severe issues remain. F1’s image damage has also not been sufficiently repaired. 

The FIA has quite the complex task: to rule over the many motorsport disciplines, a sport that by its very nature is complicated. The blend of science and human competition means it’s constantly evolving – the rules being tested in new ways every year. In F1, that is the job of the teams and drivers, to interpret the rules in such a way that one car is quicker than another and its pilot acts around accepted racing guidelines to get or stay ahead.  

In essence, the FIA’s job is rule enforcement. But its safety focus is vital too. And it must do everything against the backdrop of constantly changing global societies and attitudes. 

With all that in mind, here are several relatively simple steps the FIA should consider to improve its standing inside the F1 paddock and with fans watching on. The governing body was given a right of reply opportunity before publication. 

1 – Explain exactly how Red Bull breached the cost cap and the punishment for such a transgression

Red Bull’s apparent transgression will come out with or without it acquiescing to the Accepted Breach Agreement in F1’s cost cap rules

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

In response to the CCA release, Red Bull registered its “surprise and disappointment” at the findings. Because the exact nature of ‘minor’ cost cap offences range from a $1- $7.25million overspend (as 5% of the $145m 2021 cost cap) and with the team’s final figure in that range not known, conspiracy theories are going wild. 

Red Bull’s rivals are concerned the team has been able to get additional car development. Red Bull insists its spending is in line with the 2021 allowance and so the implication is that the FIA has interpreted something in its spending as being included in the cap it did not expect.  

For all parties, it would be better if the full nature of the transgression was revealed to soothe the trust issues exposed by the lack of information released at this stage. But the FIA is clear it is releasing what it can based on what it agreed with all the teams when the rules were made, with the competitors said to have been pushing for strict confidentiality. That that hasn’t happened isn’t good either way. 

Red Bull’s apparent transgression will come out with or without it acquiescing to the Accepted Breach Agreement in F1’s cost cap rules – and this is the next step in proceedings. But, right now, people are watching the clip of F1 sporting boss Ross Brawn saying at the 2019 US GP announcement of the latest regulations reset that “if you fraudulently breach the financial regulations, you will be losing your championship”.  

Accusations of cover-ups really need to be avoided if F1’s cost cap and the good it has wrought is to be maintained. At the same time, a harsh punishment is surely warranted if a transgression is upheld

That is heaping pressure on both Red Bull and the FIA in the court of public opinion, which for clarity, will not influence the outcome. Yet people expect justice if it’s promised, although it’s worth noting here the ‘minor’ moniker relating to the nature of the breach suggests fraud itself hasn’t been committed.  

Remember here the private “settlement” over Ferrari’s 2019 engine, which incensed its rivals at the very end of 2020 winter testing. The pandemic and Ferrari’s subsequent performance crash soothed that anger, but it was the behind-closed-doors nature that made it so controversial.  

Accusations of cover-ups really need to be avoided if F1’s cost cap and the good it has wrought is to be maintained. 

At the same time, a harsh punishment is surely warranted if a transgression is upheld (regardless of the team in question). If the punishment for a minor breach – which has not ever been fully explained – is a ‘slap-on-the-wrists’ fine of, say, $5m, then if any team that can afford it doesn’t spend a full cost year’s cost cap + 5% more + the fine, it’s surely giving away potential performance.  

That will be the takeaway and here perhaps the public reaction to any upcoming sanction may eventually lead to the rules being changed. 

2 – Explain how the safety issues at Suzuka came to be and how they will now be avoided

At Suzuka of all places, a tractor being on-track in wet conditions is a horrifically bad thing to have happened. The FIA has race control procedures in place for sending recovery vehicles onto circuits, which makes it all the more confusing that what happened after Carlos Sainz’s lap one crash did so. 

The drivers were justifiably angry, with the location adding further emotion. Their concerns cannot be understated.  

This just cannot be allowed to happen again. And so, maybe the existing procedures need tweaking following the investigation now underway.  

AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly was going too fast either side of the crash site while following his safety car cockpit delta speed. He should’ve slowed down further, but if he was doing as instructed and with the understanding that F1 cars get harder to control if their tyres cool down, then something must change to resolve this in addition to any race control/marshalling process lessons being implemented.  

3 – Explain and rectify the other Suzuka 2022 safety issues  

Gasly’s car somehow picked up the advertising hoarding Sainz’s crash had dislodged

Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images

Red Bull didn’t tell Verstappen he’d finished and won the race until he was halfway around what turned out to be his cooldown lap. Ferrari told Charles Leclerc he still had a lap to go after his chicane off in front of Sergio Perez, despite the chequered flag being waved as they passed the line seconds later. That being waved when it was isn’t in question, it’s that teams were apparently unaware - and that is shocking. 

This all came down to F1’s three-hour event time rule having a hard cut-off and no ‘plus one lap’ – as is the case for the two-hour distance rule. But if even the teams just didn’t understand this, that’s a major safety problem. This may stem from the 2022 Monaco race also appearing to hit the three-hour time mark but yet apparently getting a ‘plus-one-lap’ ending. 

Plenty of what is going wrong in these unfortunate and rare situations is that many people don’t understand what is happening and why. Add in the lack of information regarding certain decisions and it’s clear why FIA transparency is being questioned

Another more minor safety thing to address is how Gasly’s car came to pick up the advertising hoarding Sainz’s crash had dislodged.  

Formula E – another FIA championship with a big rules explanation problem – covers the walls lining its tracks with adhesive banners that come away in small strips. This seems far safer, albeit one-use and so not as environmentally friendly. It’s also a point the F1 organisation itself should consider; it may even be cheaper… 

4 – Change the race suspension rules again so the Spa scenario is finally gone

The 2021 Belgian GP saw two laps completed behind the safety car declared a ‘race’

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

F1’s race suspension rules were rewritten ahead of 2022 to make it easier to understand how fewer points would be awarded in the event of one along the lines of what happened at Spa last year. There, two laps completed behind the safety car after a lengthy rain delay was declared a ‘race’. 

But F1 nearly got a repeat last weekend, with the drivers getting full points because the rule rewording hadn’t removed a long-present clause. This means that if a race is running when the three-hour rule is reached, even if it’s only a few laps old after a very long delay, then full points are awarded. Baffling. 

Red Bull being among those unaware of this led to the unedifying scenes of Verstappen being told he was champion mid-parc ferme interviews – and even then, he wasn’t sure it was right.  

It would all have been avoided had Leclerc not been penalised when he was (a topic for another column given Ferrari’s reaction to how quick it came!), but the combination resulted in such a poor look for a championship supposed to be cutting edge. 

5 – Bring back the post-race F1 race director media sessions

Former race director Michael Masi held post-race media sessions until Jeddah 2021

Photo by: Erik Junius

Plenty of what is going wrong in these unfortunate and rare situations is that many people don’t understand what is happening and why. Add in the lack of information regarding certain decisions and it’s clear why FIA transparency is being questioned. 

It does take questions and provide answers to the media when requested, but the transparency issue overall was made much worse by the decision to drop the post-race media sessions conducted by the late Charlie Whiting and then Michael Masi until Jeddah 2021.  

Making a big show of officiating would help with issues of transparency and be entertaining at the same time

They were removed to offer a level of protection to the new race directors and because the FIA pointed out officials in other sports aren’t interviewed post-event – such as a football referee. But other sports are relatively simple and the same issues crop up repeatedly.  

By bringing back these post-race explanations, and perhaps staging regular press conferences with president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, which haven’t happened since he assumed the FIA helm nearly a year ago, much of what F1 officiating is missing right now would surely be addressed. 

6 – Commit to public service broadcasts to improve F1’s show overall

After Spa, Abu Dhabi and Suzuka it feels like something much bigger is needed too

Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

I’ve argued before that F1 should introduce a presenter, ideally a former official, to explain complex rule decisions live on TV. For example, as is done in the NFL. But after Spa, Abu Dhabi and Suzuka it feels like something much bigger is needed too. 

How about ahead of the 2023 campaign the FIA and F1 hold a televised event where all the major issues of recent seasons are addressed and discussed? This could also cover new rule changes – such as the floor height raise coming for next year. And then it could become annual, eventually changing into a celebration. 

F1 is a championship with a fanatical fanbase where people crave small details and in-depth explanations. They come for the action and stay for what makes it. Making a big show of officiating would help with issues of transparency and be entertaining at the same time.  

Because what’s happening right now is not good to watch – time and again. 

The FIA deserves enormous credit for so much of what it does. Think the pandemic seasons and how hard it worked to create the guidelines that were critical in convincing 12 countries (in 2020) to allow a nomadic entity entry. Just in providing free COVID-19 testing for paddock personnel, the governing body was generous and supportive. 

Then there’s its work to produce the rules reset initially planned for 2021 that is finally playing out right now, which was produced in collaboration with the F1 organisation. That has not fundamentally changed the championship into the ideal multi-team victory scraps at every race, but the steps taken to improve racing have at least been positive.  

The new financial rules conceived at the same time have also been central to bolstering the fiscal health of the teams – several of which were on the brink of collapse just a few years ago.  

It’s not for nothing that Lawrence Stroll’s consortium and Dorilton Capital are said to have secured ‘deals of the century’ in purchasing Aston Martin and Williams when they did given how their value has skyrocketed in F1’s boom, backed up by the security the cost cap and evolving safety steps should provide.  

But this and F1’s popularity wave are surely at risk if request for reform is not heeded.

Reform is needed before it hampers F1's current wave of popularity

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool