Dutch racing driver Tom Coronel has openly criticised the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile) for what he perceives as an overly stringent approach to rule enforcement in Formula 1.
Coronel’s comments come in response to the controversial fine imposed on Lewis Hamilton after he walked across a live track during the Qatar Grand Prix, reigniting the debate over FIA’s regulatory reach.
The incident in question unfolded after Lewis Hamilton’s car found itself stranded in the gravel following an opening-lap collision with his team-mate, George Russell.
In response to the incident, the Safety Car was deployed to slow down the other cars on the track.
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Moments before the race cars came through, Hamilton left his car and made his way to the pits by walking across the live track.
Hamilton subsequently expressed his apologies to race stewards for breaching regulations regarding crossing a live track.
In consequence, he was slapped with a substantial fine of £43,350, with half of the penalty being suspended.
However, the FIA’s decision to revisit the incident and investigate further, considering Hamilton’s status as a “role model,” has raised eyebrows within the motorsport community.
The move by the FIA has been described as unprecedented, particularly given that Max Verstappen and Logan Sargeant managed to avoid a second investigation despite being involved in separate incidents of a similar nature.
This selective reexamination has ignited controversy and prompted Tom Coronel to express his frustration with the regulatory landscape in Formula 1.
“The FIA has to make a puddle over everything,” Coronel stated on the Racing365 podcast.
“It seems as if the FIA is racing and no longer the racing drivers. I see that with a lot of things.
“Everything has to be looked at, and we have to discuss it again in a main meeting. After that, we think it’s cool to hand out fines.”
Coronel vehemently questioned the rationale behind penalising Hamilton in this particular scenario. He emphasised, “How on earth can you fine Hamilton for this?
“We’ve gone completely crazy. I’m not a three-year-old child, am I? I can just cross the road, right? I’m an adult guy.”
In Coronel’s view, the proliferation of rules has become excessive and overwhelming for the racing community.
He decried the deluge of regulations, lamenting, “There are too many rules. We are completely bombarded with rules. It’s terrible.”
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Coronel also alluded to the contentious issue of track limits, suggesting that the handling of such cases was equally perplexing. “The track limits case is also something strange.
“I just agree.
“I think there were 200 FIA people present in Qatar.
“It made no sense at all, people everywhere in white shirts with FIA on it.”