'We Need To Do A Reality Check': Wolff Says Amid Maximum Fine Increase To 1,000,000€

Wednesday, 25 October 2023 at 13:00

Mercedes F1 team principal commented on the maximum fine increase from 250,000 to 1,000,000 euros ahead of the 2023 United States Grand Prix.

The decision of the Motor Sport Council in Geneva to increase the maximum fine for F1 drivers to as much as 1 million euros met with criticism from multiple F1 drivers last week.

On Thursday's FIA conference ahead of the United States Grand Prix, drivers including Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Kevin Magnussen, and Daniel Ricciardo were asked to react to this change.

One of the most important points raised during the conversation was that multiple F1 drivers might not even be able to afford to pay such a high fine. Toto Wolff told media in Austin:

"I think a million, we need to do a reality check with real life, whether that is an adequate fine or not. I don't think we've ever fined a driver 250,000 euros, so raising the ceiling is something that one needs to understand where it comes from."

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The fact that no driver has ever been fined 250,000 euros points to the question: Why raise the amount? Wolff agreed multiple drivers would not be able to pay the fine as he elaborated:

"We don't want to portray Formula 1 out there in the world where it's tough enough [already], to give drivers fines of a million. I think half of the grid wouldn't be able to pay them."

One million euros is unimaginable amount of money to majority of Formula One fans. Wolff warned F1 should not be playing with such surreal numbers as he added:

"I don't think it is adequate considering... I don't think we should be playing around with those numbers that seem very surreal to people who are watching us."

The seven-time World Champion was recently fined 50,000 euros for crossing a live track. In doing so, Hamilton went against rules that strictly forbid such extremely dangerous actions.

Nevertheless, the Mercedes driver was fined "only" 50,000 euros, which is far from the newly set 1,000,000. The question remains: What would a driver have to do to receive such an enormous fine?