21/10/2023
NEWS STORY
Team bosses have joined the drivers in expressing shock at the decision to increase the maximum permitted fine four-fold to €1m.
Ironically, the World Motor Sport Council's decision to increase the size of the fine came days after Mohammed ben Sulayem admitted that investment was required if a technical solution were to be found in terms of policing track limits violations.
On Thursday, the drivers admitted their shock at the move, and it would appear that their bosses are equally surprised.
"For me it was very unexpected how it came along," admitted Guenther Steiner. "Is it needed? I mean, 250,000, I think it's euros, it's quite a lot of money in my world, you know.
"There are people, drivers, which make a lot of money out there, and all that, but obviously, it's earned, it's not given for free. So, if you do something you shouldn't be doing, there is a limit to what you should fine somebody. It needs to be realistic.
"Also, I think a few drivers brought it up, where's the money going?" he asked. "In a lot of sports, it goes to charities, which if I would have a say in it, a vote in it, that's what I would say. I would suggest, you know, if somebody has to pay these high fines, at least he should be involved in saying where it is going - to a charity which he likes or something like this.
"So, I mean, I don't really understand why we need this high level of fines," he admitted. "I mean, the best is to try to stay out of it or not get one."
"I think that there needs to be some deterrent for grave infringements of the regulations," admitted Toto Wolff. "But none of that was on the radar of anyone, that it would be coming.
"I think a million, we need to do a reality check with real life, whether that is an adequate fine or not," he added. "I don't think we've ever fined a driver 250. So raising the ceiling is something that one needs to understand where it comes from.
"Also. I don't think we want to portray Formula 1 out there in a world where it's tough enough to give drivers fines of a million, I think half of the grid wouldn't be able to pay them. And I don't think it's adequate considering... I don't think we should be playing around with those numbers that seem very surreal for people that are watching us."
"It's not really been explained, at least to the team bosses," said Zak Brown. "I would imagine to get a fine of that size, you're going to have to do something pretty grave. So I would hope that no one on the grid will ever see anything near that level. So hopefully, all will just be business as usual."
"Let's keep our feet on the ground in throwing around such numbers," said Mike Krack. "We have spectators here that are buying tickets already for quite high prices. And by throwing numbers around like we do currently, I think we need to come back a little bit more to reality.
"There is a lot of drivers who are not even making anything in this area. I don't know where it came from. I was caught out this way when I read it. And yeah, the most important is that you're not getting caught."