This past Tuesday, Formula 1 hosted F1 75 as a celebration of 75 years of Formula 1. For the first time ever, all 10 teams, drivers, and respective team principals came together to unveil their liveries for the upcoming 2025 season.
Hosted in London’s O2 Arena, the unprecedented season launch marked 75 years since the first points-scoring race at Silverstone. It was a night of live music and performances, with each team revealing their livery in a way that reflected their brand. From a comedic sketch poking fun at Racing Bull’s constant name changes to Aston Martin’s ode to their historic relationship with the James Bond franchise.
But while the reaction to F1 75 has been largely positive, the event unintentionally gave fans the stage to express their dissatisfaction.
Throughout the winter break, the FIA has been at the centre of off-track controversy. At the end of January, it was announced that the FIA’s sporting code for the 2025 season would include a clause that drivers who were deemed guilty of swearing or criticising the governing body could face large fines and even bans.
While the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) has yet to make any substantial comment on this change, the reaction from the public has been notable.
Matt Gallagher, a popular F1 influencer, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his opinion:
User @PIZZAPIASTRI also took to X to say: for the fia it’s acceptable to hear a driver say “i’m trying not to die” and not lift a finger to prevent it but it’s unacceptable to hear him swear or express opinions about what he believes in. unbelievable.
Back in November, the FIA had also been heavily criticised for the way they handled the Brazilian Grand Prix. During extreme weather, the governing body delayed calling a red flag despite radios from multiple drivers expressing concerns about the dangerous conditions. Most notably, from 19-year-old rookie Oliver Bearman:
“How are we allowed to race like this? Someone is going to crash big-time.
Come on, talk to the FIA, this is really dangerous. I’m trying not to die.”
Bearman’s comments were not long followed by Williams driver Franco Colapinto losing grip and slamming sideways into the barrier. It was only after this incident that the FIA finally called a red flag and the race was paused to allow the conditions to clear.
During the event last Tuesday, sports presenter Laura Winter was praising the FIA for their efforts to ensure track safety in motorsports when the arena broke out into boos. Clearly, she was not expecting the reaction and was momentarily thrown off before continuing with her speech.
While the FIA has avoided commenting directly on this response from fans, a spokesperson for the governing body condemned the booing that four-time world champion Max Verstappen and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner also received during the event.
They said:
“Great rivalries throughout the history of motorsport have contributed to making it such an exciting experience for fans. But what underpins sport at all levels is a culture of respect.
As such, it was disappointing to hear the crowd’s tribalist reaction to FIA Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen and his Red Bull Team Principal and CEO Christian Horner, at the F1 launch in London.”
It is understood the subject will be raised at the World Motor Sport Council next week. What will come from this, it’s unclear. But it’s fair to suggest that the FIA aren’t only referring to the lack of respect they believe Verstappen and Horner received at F1 75.
The FIA are aware that their reputation has been damaged in recent years. The events that unfolded during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021 remain a prominent talking point four years later and the incidents in Brazil and Qatar last year haven’t helped. Evidently, they’re beginning to take extreme measures to repair this damage.
While many people have focused on the swearing aspect of the sporting code changes, it’s worthwhile acknowledging that the revision also refers to any criticism of the FIA.
“All major governing bodies have similar rules/fines to protect the integrity of the sport,” a spokesperson for the FIA said, “The FIA is not alone in fining competitors for misconduct.”
While this is true to an extent, most fans have begun to recognise the dangerous precedent these new rules could be setting.
User @leclyke posted on X: the point deduction part is what really miffs me because genuinely one point can make the difference in championships, and the fact that the fia are giving themselves room to use that punishment for something like swearing if they wanted to is absurd
The FIA has already found themselves under fire during the 2024 season after they were accused of meddling with race results to manufacture a championship battle. Most notably, during the Brazilian sprint race when stewards delayed throwing a double flag despite Nico Hulkenberg being out of his car and dangerously close to the track.
Many fans had pointed out that this delay – which was atypical looking at similar past cases – had allowed the McLarens to swap positions as they’d planned, giving Lando Norris (the only contending driver for Verstappen’s championship) the lead.
Now, with these new changes to the sporting code, the FIA could have the ability to tamper race results if they find a driver “guilty” of criticism.
Despite this, multiple sources told BBC Sport that “a lot” of people at the FIA were against the changes made to the sporting code. One source, in particular, said it was pushed through on a “snap e-vote and with no consultation with other stakeholders or the GPDA or the FIA’s own drivers’ commission”.
It’s arguable that F1 75 was intended to be another flashy event that would cover up the current problems brewing in Formula 1. Instead, it gave fans a platform to express their dissatisfaction with the FIA and the current changes being made to the sport. And though the FIA might try to brush these reactions aside to protect the ‘integrity’ of the sport, it’s clear that this sentiment will only grow until they begin to listen to the drivers and fans alike.
Thinking Formula 
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