F1: Financial penalties to be reduced for minor offences

The FIA are scrapping financial penalties for minor offences, in favour of increasing the amount to be paid to obtain a super-license, required to drive a Formula 1 car.

Earlier in the month, the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association demanded to know from the FIA as to why drivers were still being charged fines for offenses likes speeding in the pit lane. The fine for the offense is $200 per km above speed limit.

Autosport reported that the FIA had struck a deal with the GPDA, wherein the penalty would be applied on the team, rather than the driver. Also, the fine would be reduced to $100 per km, with a maximum of $1000 charged per race.

The changes supposedly came into effect in the Bahrain Grand Prix, and Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen was charged $1000 for over-speeding in the pit lane during the race.