The FIA has finally broken its silence after Franco Colapinto's key sponsor, Mercado Libre, launched a scathing attack, accusing race stewards of "killing the integrity" of Formula 1. The criticism came on the heels of a controversial decision against the Alpine driver during the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
Franco Colapinto was handed a drive-through penalty and two penalty points after being deemed to have overtaken Yuki Tsunoda under yellow flags on the opening lap. The incident occurred after Max Verstappen's crash and Gabriel Bortoleto's spin at the final corner. Colapinto felt the decision was "extremely harsh," arguing that it would have been more dangerous to brake suddenly than to complete the pass.
Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad echoed those sentiments after receiving a similar penalty on the first lap, suggesting the stewards were "trying to set a precedent" rather than judging the incident on its own merits. Lindblad's comments reinforced the narrative that the Zandvoort decisions were overly rigid and failed to account for the dynamic nature of racing.
Post-race, Sean Summers, chief marketing officer of Mercado Libre, took to X, writing that "FIA stewards are killing the integrity of F1" and that this season they have been "horrible and impacting race results." Summers also questioned the competence and honesty of the stewards, adding that "something is seriously broken in that organisation's culture."
In response, the FIA issued a formal statement defending its stewards. "Following the Dutch Grand Prix, FIA stewards were targeted with online abuse after applying sporting penalties in line with the FIA regulations," the statement read. The FIA emphasized that disagreement with decisions is part of sport but must never justify threats or personal attacks.
The FIA also reminded stakeholders of the United Against Online Abuse coalition, launched in 2023 after a steward faced targeted abuse following the United States Grand Prix. They urged everyone engaging with the sport to do so with respect and responsibility, both online and offline.
This controversy adds to the ongoing debate about the consistency of steward decisions in F1. With pressure from sponsors, teams, and drivers, the FIA is now under scrutiny to ensure transparency and fairness in every decision made on the track.
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