F1 world champion has licence downgraded by FIA

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F1 world champion has licence downgraded by FIA

No way to treat an F1 champion!

Dan Ripley Global Editor

Professional F1 journalist and analyst

Thursday 8 October 2026 09:44

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If you need a reminder that you are getting old, then there is perhaps no organisation more brutal than the FIA to give you that nudge.

The FIA have announced their annual update to their driver categorisation for the 2027 sportscar season which gives drivers a licence based in four categories. Those being platinum, gold, silver and bronze tiers.

Now, F1 world champions, as far as this author is concerned, can keep a platinum status for as long as they live. They've earned it quite frankly.

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I'd trust myself in a car for a grand day out with a 90-year-old Damon Hill for instance more than some of my friends' questionable driving standards.

Granted, I'm getting side-tracked here, and racing on a track and driving on a public highway are different things, but my point stands. F1 champions have it forever.

But not according to the FIA they don't.

Jacques Villeneuve downgraded by FIA

This updated list for 2027 has the audacity to downgrade Jacques Villeneuve's platinum status down to a gold.

Yes, 1997 F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, conqueror of the great Michael Schumacher and Williams' last title winner.

So what's the poor Canadian done wrong? Getting old. It turns out it doesn't matter how good you are, once you turn 55 years old, as the son of the legendary Gilles Villeneuve did back in April, the FIA will savagely downgrade your licence to a gold one from platinum.

Worse is to come too. That will downgrade to silver at the age of 60 and bronze at the age of 65. There is room for a downgrade to be overruled by the FIA Categorisation Committee but this is unlikely to happen in this case (come on FIA, it's fricking Jacques Villeneuve!)

Jacques Villeneuve has had his FIA licence downgraded

MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi has seen his upgraded

But Valentino Rossi gets an upgrade!

There is better news for those of you who love a late 1990s/early 2000s racing star. MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi has had his licence upgraded from a silver to a gold given his recent WEC and GT3 adventures (he will even be racing against Max Verstappen soon!) so it's not all bad.

For the record, not all F1 drivers have these licences. Right now only Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Lando Norris, Lance Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg and Franco Colapinto hold one - all have platinum licences just for being F1 drivers.

The licences open up entry into many FIA events including the Le Mans 24 hours, and GT3 but must be applied for by any driver no matter their career achievement, which might explain why a driver such as Lewis Hamilton doesn't have one.