Michael Schmidt on the FIA’s crisis of confidence

Violations of financial regulations identified by the FIA ​​experts were one of the hottest topics of the past week, but when the results of the audit were made public, many were disappointed – first and foremost the work of the federation. This is discussed by Michael Schmidt, a journalist for the German edition of Auto Motor und Sport.

The FIA ​​named three violators of the financial rules but did not dare to release details, so detailed information about the nature of the violations remains secret. The Federation thanked the teams for their cooperation, for their goodwill and commitment to the principle of transparency. However, the FIA ​​itself does not follow this principle.

The names of the perpetrators are known, but in two cases it is completely unclear what the crime is. Aston Martin is accused of procedural violations and Red Bull Racing is not only accused of this, but also of a “minor” budget overrun.

And only with Wlliams everything is clear: already in May it became known that the team paid a fine of 25 thousand dollars for late filing of annual accounts. In the other two cases, referring to the complexity of the audit procedure, the FIA ​​states that this was only the first year the financial rules were in force, so “the intervention of the federation’s budget control department was limited and concerned only the analysis of the documentation provided by the teams and a full formal investigation has not been conducted”.

All this is like admitting your own bankruptcy. Apparently there are many gray areas in the financial regulations, so teams can sue the FIA ​​at any time. Perhaps it would be better to let go of such rules altogether? Or its provisions should be better formulated.

However, there is no apparent reason not to explain the nature of Red Bull and Aston Martin’s violations, once identified by FIA inspectors. In the practice of criminal or civil proceedings, as a rule, detailed information about the nature of the indictment is made public.

It was clear from the start that sanctions for financial regulation violations would be discussed later. Meanwhile, the teams will work hard to prove their innocence. If some information remains closed, it indicates that the offenders are pushing for this, they are trying to pressure the FIA ​​and dispute the amount of the penalty. Only Williams immediately agreed to pay the fine.

If the FIA ​​really finds itself in such a situation, trust in this body could be seriously eroded – can it still be considered an independent regulator?

If the weight of the car does not meet the technical regulations, this will be announced immediately after the race. If a rider breaks the rules of the sport, we get a long report from the stewards almost immediately, explaining in detail what their judgment is based on. Openness creates trust. Spectators always want to understand the essence of the violations and what the riders are fined for.

In the case of Aston Martin and Red Bull, I also want to know exactly what they are accused of. If Red Bull Racing spent an extra dollar in 2021 it’s one thing, if they spent several million it’s quite another as it could already affect the results of the season. However, in accordance with Article 8.10 of the Financial Regulation, both violations are classified as “minor”.

The public should be able to discuss all this on the basis of facts. It is even better if the teams also participate in such discussions – then all speculation stops.

If nothing is done, suspicions arise that the FIA ​​is trying to hide something, wait for the hype to die down and meanwhile quietly negotiate with the offending teams themselves, then recognize the federation’s verdict. And if it turns out that this verdict will be too soft, then this will not stop anyone from new violations.