An uncommon occurrence in Formula 1 involves drivers being called before the FIA stewards for explanations prior to any on-track activity, a situation Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc now face in Monaco.
The pair of racers are required to meet with the stewards on Friday due to their tardy arrival at the mandated FIA press conference held on Thursday. While this might appear minor, it nonetheless violates the athletic guidelines, specifically Article B10, which details participants’ obligations for media engagements and formal events.
To be precise, the justification provided for their summons is: “Alleged violation of Article B10.1.1a of the FIA F1 regulations – belated presence at the Thursday media briefing.”
The Thursday media session is exclusively for drivers and is currently structured with six chosen participants divided into two sets, presenting consecutively within a 60-minute period. In earlier arrangements, a larger number of drivers participated simultaneously in a more rigid setup, which proved inadequate due to questions often focusing on just a couple of people, coupled with F1 drivers’ inclination to cause distractions when restless or without engagement.
Dividing the session into two groups of three theoretically aims to distribute focus more equitably.
During the period led by Max Mosley, participants were frequently selected to deliberately create controversy, especially when certain teams and individuals were openly at odds. Today, in a more professional climate, selections are made almost by chance. Article B10.1.1a further mandates that drivers not chosen for the main appearance must attend an alternative session scheduled not to conflict with the FIA’s primary press briefing.
Norris and Leclerc attended the briefing, though their arrival wasn’t sufficiently punctual for official standards.
Photo by: Getty Images
While infrequent, it is not unprecedented for the seemingly routine matters of formal press conferences to necessitate an official review by the stewards. In 2024, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem initiated a crackdown on offensive language, leading to disciplinary actions against multiple drivers for using profanity during official events.
For example, Leclerc incurred a €10,000 penalty for employing inappropriate English expressions in Mexico during that year, and Max Verstappen was ordered to perform community service for his “vocabulary used to characterize his vehicle at the Azerbaijan event, which is widely regarded as ‘crude, impolite,’ or potentially ‘offensive’ and unsuitable for public transmission.”
Punctuality issues at the Thursday press conference represent a minor infraction but are nonetheless disapproved of by both the regulatory organization and the commercial rights owner, given the live broadcast nature of the event. In 2024, Verstappen avoided sanctions for his delayed arrival at the Thursday conference in Austria, as he was impeded by traffic en route to the circuit, and his team had informed the FIA beforehand.
“The officials determined that the competitor and his squad adopted all practical steps under the conditions, consequently deciding against any sanction, even though a technical breach of the rules did occur.”
