FIA staff forced to go undercover for safety during controversial Hamilton vs Verstappen F1 title fight

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FIA News

FIA staff forced to go undercover for safety during controversial Hamilton vs Verstappen title fight

It should never get to this point!

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Sunday 30 August 2026 09:15

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And so, we repeat the GPFans plea to F1 fans around the world: Please be normal to people involved in the sport, and to other fans.

Speaking of people not going that, former F1 deputy race director Claire Dubbelman has revealed that FIA personnel have been instructed at certain events not to leave the track in their FIA uniforms.

Dubbelman said that 'especially' around the controversial 2021 season, which ended in the infamous Abu Dhabi safety car decision by Michael Masi, FIA employees were warned that their safety couldn't necessarily be guaranteed if they didn't change into neutral, non-identifying clothes on their way out of the track.

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FIA personnel have long been a target of discontent from fans – Heinz Harald Frentzen recently revealed that fan backlash was part of the reason he stepped down as a steward, with even his own mother furious at him for one penalty decision – but Dubbelman's revelation is alarming even in that context.

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"Especially in 2021, when I wasn't doing Formula 1 myself yet," Dubbelman revealed on the FastForward podcast. "Back then I was still doing Formula 2 and Formula 3, but you do walk around in an FIA uniform.

"I did have events where we had to bring neutral street clothes to the circuit. When the race was over, we had to leave the track in our normal clothes, because otherwise they couldn't guarantee our safety."

The FIA has, to its credit, worked hard to provide more support for its staff in recent years, both at the track and on social media, where anonymous or semi-anonymous users often cross the line of decency.

As for Dubbelman herself, she left the FIA at the end of last year to explore new opportunities in the sport, and now works for Saudi Arabia's motorsport federation.