In a dramatic twist shaking the Formula 1 paddock, Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen have been handed a penalty for filing a false protest, leading the FIA to announce a major regulatory change.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem confirmed that teams will now be required to submit a formal written complaint and a financial deposit — potentially as high as $50,000 — when lodging protests. This move comes after tensions between Red Bull and McLaren escalated over allegations that McLaren had been illegally cooling their tyres by injecting water, a claim no evidence has supported.
Ben Sulayem endorsed McLaren CEO Zak Brown’s proposal, stating: “You cannot just accuse someone without a written complaint, and that protest, you have to pay money.”
The FIA’s decision followed backlash over Red Bull’s recent protest, which was deemed frivolous and without sufficient basis. As a result, Red Bull and Verstappen were issued a formal penalty, though the details of the sanction remain under wraps.
Max Verstappen addressed the controversy after the ruling: “We always push for every advantage on track, but I understand the FIA’s position. We have to be careful with what we challenge, and going forward, we’ll handle these matters differently.”
Team principal Christian Horner also weighed in, defending his team while acknowledging the need for clarity: “We’re fierce competitors, and sometimes that leads to heated moments. But we respect the FIA’s decision and will adjust our approach to ensure we focus on racing, not distractions.”
Zak Brown, who had previously mocked the Red Bull claims by sipping from a water bottle labeled “tire water” during the Miami Grand Prix, argued that financial deposits would deter teams from making baseless accusations.
“If you had to put up some money and put on paper and not backchannel what your allegations are, I think that would be a way to clean up the bogus allegations that happened in this sport,” Brown said.
The new FIA rule is expected to take effect immediately, introducing a stricter framework for protests and potentially counting financial penalties against a team’s cost cap if a complaint is proven unfounded.
As Formula 1 heads into the next rounds of the championship, all eyes will be on how this ruling reshapes the competitive — and political — landscape of the sport.