Toto Wolff criticises new FIA €1m fine: “Half the grid wouldn’t be able to pay”

The International Sporting Code was tweaked ahead of this weekend’s F1 United States Grand Prix, most notably amending a regulation that hadn’t been touched for 12 years.

It enables FIA stewards to dish out fines to F1 drivers to a maximum of €1m, which has quadrupled from €250,000 under the latest changes.

Mercedes team principal Wolff said: "There needs to be some deterrent for grave infringements of the regulations. 

“But none of that was on the radar of anyone, that it would be coming.

"€1m? We need to do a reality check with real life, whether that is an adequate fine or not. 

“I don't think we've ever fined a driver €250,000, so raising the ceiling is something that one needs to understand where it comes from.

"We don't want to portray Formula 1 out there in the world where it's tough enough, to give drivers fines of €1m. 

“I think half of the grid wouldn't be able to pay them. 

“I don't think it is adequate, considering. I don't think we should be playing around with those numbers that seem very surreal to people who are watching us."

Mercedes’ George Russell previously said: "I think it's pretty ridiculous that a driver could be fined €1m.

"In my first year of Formula 1 I was on a five-figure salary. I actually lost over six figures in that first year from paying for my trainer, paying for flights, paying for an assistant. 

“That's probably the case for 25 percent of the grid.

"We're doing what we love, so we're not complaining about that. 

“But if you take a year-one driver who probably by the end of the year is losing over €100,000 because of the investments he has to make, [then] you fine them €1m. What's going to happen?"