F1 Drivers voice Concerns Over racing Rule Policing

DOHA — Formula 1 drivers met with the governing FIA to voice concerns over recent policing of racing rules, even though no immediate changes to driver guidelines have been agreed.

F1S racing guidelines, agreed upon by drivers and the FIA at last year’s Qatar Grand Prix, have led to a series of controversial decisions.

Penalties for wheel-to-wheel incidents have been a major talking point of the 2025 season, with drivers regularly frustrated by inconsistency in decisions week to week and in blanket rules sometimes being applied to very different circuits.

Drivers have been pushing for changes to the guidelines the FIA use to determine penalties and got the chance to put their concerns to the FIA on Thursday night in Qatar ahead of this year’s race.

Speaking on thursday, Grand Prix Drivers’ Association chairman and Williams driver Carlos Sainz saeid: “There is potential to do better. I think the guidelines themselves have created more problems than solutions to a lot of issues that have happened this year in the ways we judge incidents.There’s been barely any room for racing incidents this year.”

Calls for a permanent set of race stewards — including at least one with recent F1 racing experience — have grown.