Why Norris and Leclerc have been summoned to the FIA stewards before hitting the track in Monaco

It's unusual for Formula 1 drivers to be summoned by the FIA stewards to explain themselves before even turning a wheel on track, but this is the fate which has befallen Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc in Monaco.

Both drivers must report to the stewards on Friday after arriving late for the official FIA press conference on Thursday. This may seem trivial but it still constitutes a breach of the sporting regulations, in which Article B10 lays out the demands on competitors for media activities and official ceremonies.

Specifically, the reason given for summonsing both drivers is: "Alleged breach of Article B10.1.1a of the FIA F1 regulations – late attendance of the Thursday press conference."

The Thursday conference is set aside for drivers, and is currently arranged in a format where the six individuals selected are split into two groups, appearing one after the other over the course of a one-hour timeslot. Previously more drivers appeared at once, in a more formal setting, but this was considered unsatisfactory given the tendency of questions to home in on one or two particular individuals, along with the general penchant of F1 drivers to become disruptive when bored and unoccupied.

Splitting the session over two groups of three theoretically gives a more even spread of attention.

In the Max Mosley era the candidates were often chosen with the purposes of generating mischief, when particular teams and individuals were openly in conflict with one another. In these more professional times they are selected quasi-randomly. Article B10.1.1a goes on to insist that those not selected to appear must take part in a separate session which is not timed to clash with the FIA's press conference.

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It is rare but not unheard of for the seemingly mundane business of the official press conferences to warrant an intervention from the stewards. In 2024, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem declared a war on expletives and several drivers were censured for swearing in official sessions.

Leclerc, for instance, was fined €10,000 for venturing into the realms of Anglo-Saxon phraseology in Mexico that year, while Max Verstappen was compelled to do community service for using "language to describe his car at the event in Azerbaijan which is generally considered ‘coarse, rude' or may ‘cause offense' and is not considered suitable for broadcast".

Being late for the Thursday press conference is a lesser-order offence but it is still frowned upon by both the governing body and the commercial rights holder, since it is televised live. In 2024 Verstappen escaped punishment for being late to the Thursday conference in Austria because he was held up in traffic on the way to the track, and the team notified the FIA in advance.

"The stewards conclude that the driver and the team took every reasonable measure given the circumstances and therefore impose no penalty despite technically the regulations have been breached."