F1 star under investigation over rule breach at FIA press conference

Photo: © IMAGO

Belgian Grand Prix

F1 star under investigation over rule breach at FIA press conference

The FIA are being kept busy in Belgium

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Friday 17 July 2026 12:12 Updated: 12:32

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An F1 star has found themselves in hot water with the FIA before the racing has even begun at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Drivers and teams arrived at the Ardennes Forest earlier this week as they look to get ready for this weekend's racing in Spa.

Unlike last year, there are no sprint activities for teams to prepare for so it is just the usual run of two practice sessions on Friday, a final one on Saturday ahead of qualifying, before the main event gets underway on Sunday.

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But before the drivers can take to the track, they have a host of commitments on what is known as 'media day' on the Thursday.

FIA punishment on the way in Belgium

Every race weekend, a handful of F1 stars are chosen to take part in the official FIA drivers' press conference on the Thursday, with a team principal one taking place later in the day.

Max Verstappen, Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon were selected for the first group, while Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli and Liam Lawson made up the second.

Unfortunately for Haas star Ocon, he arrived one minute late to the first press conference, something that does not sit well with the sport's governing body.

A fine is almost certainly heading Ocon's way

In the regulations, Article B10.1.1a mandates that participants attend all official media sessions punctually.

It therefore means that a fine is almost certainly coming Ocon's way, drivers are incredibly unlikely to ever receive a sporting penalty for this type of offence.

If Ocon wants to know how much he has to fork out, he will have to wait until a little after 12pm local time (11am BST) when he will visit the stewards to learn his fate.

However, he could also ask Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris as the pair were both guilty of the same infraction earlier this year at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Both the Ferrari and McLaren stars were handed a €5,000 fine suspended for 12 months so long as they didn't do it again in that time period.

The FIA are very strict when it comes to punctuality in F1. Carlos Sainz was handed a whopping €20,000 fine for being late to the national anthem at the Japanese Grand Prix last year. €10,000 of which was suspended for 12 months as long as he doesn't commit a similar offence.

That fine might seem harsh, especially when you hear that Sainz was struggling with a stomach bug at the time hence why he was late. But the sporting code actually laid out that the fine should be €60,000 - so it could have been much worse.

Ocon handed FIA fine

UPDATE: The stewards have now handed their verdict and have followed suit with Norris and Leclerc from Monaco, issuing Ocon with a €5,000 fine suspended for 12 months.

The summary from the stewards in full, read: "Car 31 was scheduled to attend the FIA Drivers' Press Conference at 14:30 as published in the official FIA Media Schedule but arrived approximately one minute late.

"The driver explained that he was unexpectedly briefly delayed when rushing from a team meeting to get to the Press Conference and underestimated the time it would take to get there.

"He acknowledged that he was late but only missed part of the introduction and was present for all questions from media representatives.

"The team representative apologised and committed to ensuring the team’s schedule would in future allow sufficient time for the drivers to get to media commitments on schedule.

"The Stewards note that attendance at FIA press activities is an important part of the Championship and that drivers are required to comply with the published timetable unless prevented by exceptional circumstances.

"The Stewards took into account the driver's explanation and, while not considering they were exceptional, nonetheless accepted they were mitigatory.

"Consistent with previous infringements of a similar nature, the Stewards determined to impose a fine. Noting that in accordance with Article 9.15.1 of the FIA International Sporting Code, the Competitor is responsible for the actions of its driver, the fine is imposed on the Competitor.

"As this is the Competitor’s first infringement of this type this season, and taking into account the driver’s explanation, the fine is suspended for a period of 12 months subject to there being no further breach of a similar nature."

Written by

Matthew Hobkinson - Lead Editor

After four years working for a Lloyd's of London insurance syndicate, lockdown gave Matt the chance to chase a career in sports journalism - he hasn't looked back. Matt has found a home here at GPFans where he can showcase the weird and wonderful world of F1 to the millions of fans around the world who are just as passionate as he is about the best sport in the world.

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