The latest draft of the FIA sporting regulations was approved in December during the World Council meeting. It introduces several updates. One of the main changes is a higher deposit fee for teams submitting official protests or appeals against stewards’ decisions, Motorsport reports.
The change traces back to the F1 Commission meeting in July, when the issue was first discussed after a series of incidents that delayed race results. At the time, the Commission, chaired by Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA single-seater director Nicolas Tombazis, considered tightening the protest system. The aim was clear: reduce or ideally eliminate protests seen as unfounded or trivial.
Incidents sparked the review
The discussion followed multiple protests from Red Bull Racing in early 2025. The Milton Keynes team filed two complaints against George Russell. First protest was at the Miami Grand Prix for allegedly failing to slow under yellow flags, and then at the Canadian Grand Prix for an apparent violation of the minimum distance behind the Safety Car, which allowed Max Verstappen to overtake. Both complaints were rejected by the FIA.
These cases frustrated other teams, particularly due to the prolonged uncertainty after races. In response, the December draft introduces a significantly higher deposit for filing an official protest. The goal is to make the process more costly and discourage teams from using the system strategically. Deposits are refundable if the protest is successful, and the amounts count against the cost cap, which teams already plan for in their budgets.
George Russell highlighted the issue after the second protest against him, saying, «2,000 euros is hardly enough for teams making millions. They won’t hesitate to file more. If it were a six-figure sum, they would think twice.»
The new draft also raises fees for technical investigations into rival cars and for requests for review, now set at 20,000 euros per request. Together, these measures form a broader plan to make the F1 protest system stricter and more accountable.
Kursiv also reports that the FIA has signalled there will be no compromise, allowing Mercedes and Red Bull Powertrains to continue with their current engine concepts.
