- Potential penalty from stewards increased from €250,000
- Drivers call move ‘scary’ and ‘ridiculous’
Lewis Hamilton and his fellow Formula One drivers could be fined up to €1m (£870,000) following a dramatic change to the sport’s rulebook. Before this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, F1’s governing body announced it has increased the maximum sanction that stewards can impose on a driver from €250,000 (£218,000).
The FIA said the amount had been static for the last 12 years and “does not reflect the current needs of motor sports”. But the decision was met with surprise by the grid’s drivers. Daniel Ricciardo, back in action after missing five races with a broken hand, calling it “scary”, and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen branding the move “ridiculous”.