Revealed: The most fined drivers and teams on the F1 2023 grid
Just over the halfway point of the season, here are the F1 teams and drivers who have picked up monetary fines as punishments…
While drivers and teams are pretty much always hit with sporting penalties for infringements on track during the qualifying and race sessions of a Grand Prix weekend, there are plenty of ways they can pick up fines for their team during practice.
The teams themselves also have to watch out for possible procedural breaches that could lead to hefty fines. Let’s look through all the fines that have been handed out during the 2023 F1 season so far…
The most heavily fined F1 drivers and teams during 2023
For clarity, it is the competitor (ie. team) who is hit with the fine, not the driver, even if the driver performs the infringement. Whether or not any money comes out of the driver’s pockets eventually is dependent on their situation with the team!
100 euro – Pierre Gasly
- Bahrain GP – Pitlane speeding – 100 euro
The Alpine driver was caught for speeding in the pits during his first qualifying session with his new team, clocked at 80.6km/h to break the pitlane speed limit by 0.6km/h.
100 euro – Sergio Perez
The Mexican picked up a 100 euro fine for doing 80.9km/h in the 80.0km/h pitlane during second practice for the British Grand Prix.
100 euro – George Russell
- Monaco GP – Pitlane speeding – 100 euro
The Mercedes man exceeded the Monaco pitlane speed limit o 60km/h by 0.2km/h during FP2.
100 euro – Fernando Alonso
- Austrian Grand Prix – Pitlane speeding – 100 euro
The Aston Martin driver has kept his nose clean throughout the year, with his sole transgression being a slightly quick entry to the pitlane during first practice in Austria. He was clocked at 80.9km/h in an 80 zone.
500 euro – Red Bull
- Italian Grand Prix – Pitlane speeding – 500 euro
Red Bull were given a €500 fine after Max Verstappen exceeded the speed limit in the pitlane by 4.8km/h during FP2.
700 euro – Lewis Hamilton
- Austrian Grand Prix – Pitlane speeding – 100 euro
- Monaco Grand Prix – Pitlane speeding – 600 euro
汉密尔顿被做80.2 km / h, 0.2 km / h / the pitlane speed limit, during first practice at the Austrian Grand Prix to earn himself a 100 euro fine. He followed that up in Monaco by getting caught doing 65.5 in a 60.0 pitlane during third practice.
700 euro – Max Verstappen
- Australian GP – Pitlane speeding – 700 euro
The reigning World Champion has only picked up one fineable offence during the season so far, as he was caught during first practice doing 86.4km/h in the 80km/h pitlane in Australia. The fine handed to Red Bull was 700 euro.
800 euro – Zhou Guanyu
- Monaco GP – Pitlane speeding – 300 euro
- Monaco GP – Pitlane speeding – 300 euro
- Monaco GP – Pitlane speeding – 100 euro
- Monaco GP – Pitlane speeding – 100 euro
The Chinese driver had a bit of a mad one during third practice in Monaco, as he decided speed limits disagreed with him. Zhou was caught speeding on four separate occasions during the session, at 63.0, 62.5, 61.0, and 60.2km/h – all above the 60km/h limit.
1,000 euro – Lando Norris
- British GP – Mechanic on track
Norris/McLaren were given a 1000 euro fine during third practice for the British Grand Prix, when the home hero left his garage with part of his garage still attached to the rear!
An investigation by the stewards clarified the situation: “While the car was still in pit lane, [McLaren] told the driver to stop the car.
“[Norris] stopped the car at the very first safe location which was at the end of pit lane just past the pit exit line. The Stewards noted that he was prevented from stopping earlier, prior to the pit exit line, because of photographers standing in the working area past the final team location.
“The Stewards consider that releasing the car with a sizable part loose on the rear of the car was incorrect. However, the prompt action of the team to stop the car in the pit lane mitigated the potential unsafe condition and the Stewards therefore only issue a warning.
“The team sent a mechanic to retrieve the part off the car. In doing so, he crossed the pit exit line and touched the stopped car and technically was on track when he did so. Following that he then stepped to the front of the car and stopped the driver from proceeding until he signaled that it was safe to do so. This section of the track at this venue is entirely safe, and so what he did was not unsafe, and indeed he ensured the safety of the other competitors by his actions.
“然而,团队不寻求或接受有的ion from Race Control to have personnel on the track, nor did the mechanic seek permission of the marshal on scene. This has not happened recently in Formula 1, and in issuing a €1,000 fine the Stewards have considered in mitigation that the car was prevented from stopping before the line, and that the actions of the mechanic, while a clear breach of the regulations, were deemed safe at all times.”
1,800 euro – Lance Stroll
- Australian GP – Pitlane speeding – 100 euro
- Miami GP – Pitlane speeding – 100 euro
- Miami GP – Pitlane speeding – 400 euro
- Canadian GP – Pitlane speeding – 1000 euro
- Austrian GP – Pitlane speeding – 200 euro
The Canadian driver has had a busy season on the fines front, as he’d committed quite a few offences that have caught the eye of the stewards.
He was measured at an unlucky 0.1km/h over the 80km/h pitlane speed limit in Australia during FP3, picking up a 100 euro fine.
In Miami, he did the same as he was clocked at 80.3km/h in the pitlane during FP2 – only to do the same thing a few minutes later as he was caught at 83.5km/h and racking up another 400 euro fine! Easy knowing he’s not paying for it, eh?
He would be caught for a similar offence in Canada, albeit in a much more exuberant fashion as he came into the pits at 97.87km/h – almost 18km/h over the limit! That one picked Aston Martin up another 1000 euro fine.
He’d calmed down a bit by the time he was next caught speeding, doing a pedestrian 81.3km/h in the Austrian pitlane to add another 200 euro to his tab.
5,000 euro – Nyck de Vries
- British GP – Unsafe release – 5000 euro
During his final Grand Prix weekend before being dropped by Red Bull, Nyck de Vries was involved in an unsafe release during qualifying.
The Dutch driver was released from his box straight into the path of Oscar Piastri, who was driving down the pitlane at the speed limit. De Vries had to quickly change direction to move into the ‘working lane’ in order to avoid a collision. This occurrence, exacerbated by a damp surface, meant the stewards looked unfavourably on it and hit him with a fine.
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5,000 euro – Kevin Magnussen
- Hungarian GP – Procedural error – 5000 euro
Annoyingly for Haas, they forgot the exact same thing on Kevin Magnussen’s side of the garage, netting themselves a further 5000 euro penalty.
5,100 euro – Alex Albon
- Monaco GP – Pitlane speeding – 100 euro
- Canadian GP – Procedural error – 5000 euro
Albon picked up his first fine of the season during his laps to the grid in Monte Carlo, as he was caught doing 60.1km/h in a 60.0 pitlane, picking up a 100 euro penalty.
A few weeks later, Williams triggered a procedural fine on both of their cars during qualifying. The team forgot to return tyres to Pirelli after practice, netting themselves a 5000 euro fine on each side of the garage.
5,100 euro – Carlos Sainz
- Dutch GP – Pitlane speeding – 100 euro
- Dutch GP – Dangerous manouevre – 5000 euro
His first fines of 2023, Carlos Sainz was hit with a 100 euro fine when he was caught at 60.5km/h in the 60km/h pitlane at Zandvoort.
More seriously, Sainz was then involved in a dangerous moment involving the McLaren of Oscar Piastri as the Ferrari driver moved across on the Australian as Sainz emerged from the pits. This forced Piastri to take evasive action by taking to the grass, with the stewards investigating following the session.
“Sainz was exiting the pits and immediately moved to the racing line before Turn 2,” they said, having hit Sainz/Ferrari with a 5000 euro fine.
“In doing so Piastri, who was on track, had to take avoiding action and was partially forced off track and onto the grass. In the opinion of the Stewards, this was a “Potentially Dangerous” manoeuvre, and a crash was only avoided by the actions of Piastri.
“Sainz was warned not to cross the white line at the exit of the pits, and was not warned about Piastri until he was already alongside.
“Sainz explained that he had briefly caught sight of Piastri as he was rounding turn 1 at the pit exit and gauged that Piastri was on a slow lap. From then on he did not see Piastri because of the relative angle of the cars. He also explained that he was trying to get to the drying line as quickly as possible.
“While the Stewards understand this explanation, in their opinion, Sainz rapid move to the line, while unable to see a car that he knew was in the area created a “Potentially Dangerous” situation. The Stewards also felt that the team contributed to this situation and therefore issue a team fine.”
5,300 euro – Logan Sargeant
- Monaco GP – Pitlane speeding – 200 euro
- Monaco GP – Pitlane speeding – 100 euro
- Canadian GP – Procedural error – 5000 euro
It’s really not as bad as it sounds for Logan Sargeant, despite the eye-watering figure he’s racked up. The American rookie was caught speeding in the pits during FP3 in Monaco as he did 61.1km/h in a 60 zone, netting himself a 200 euro ticket.
He was caught speeding again a few minutes later as he did 60.1km/h in the pitlane, but the big fine handed out to Sargeant was a procedural error committed by Williams.
As explained with Albon’s penalty for the same thing, his team had failed to return tyres as required to Pirelli ahead of qualifying, with a team representative admitting the error to the stewards. It was a “team oversight for which they accepted responsibility”, earning them a 5000 euro fine for each car…
6,300 euro – Yuki Tsunoda
- Azerbaijan GP – Unsafe release during Sprint – 5000 euro
- Monaco GP – Pitlane speeding – 1000 euro
- Canadian GP – Pitlane speeding – 100 euro
- Belgian GP – Pitlane speeding – 100 euro
- Belgian GP – Pitlane speeding – 100 euro
Yuki Tsunoda has had quite the costly year for AlphaTauri, with the Japanese driver committing quite a few offences.
His troubles began in Azerbaijan, where AlphaTauri released his car in unsafe condition during the Sprint race. Tsunoda had damaged his car, with the right-rear tyre coming off and the rim touching the track, and had returned to the pits telling his team he didn’t think the car could continue.
Nevertheless, AlphaTauri sent him back out on fresh wheels after a quick visual check, with the suspension failing almost immediately as Tsunoda rejoined the race. Having driven slowly around to the pits, causing disruption to the race, the stewards ruled the team should have done more to check the safety of the AT04. They were fined 5000 euro for this.
In Monaco, Tsunoda barrelled into the Monaco pitlane at 76.2km/h with the limit set at 60.0. Tsunoda had struck the barriers at Turn 11 and was coming in for checks, and the stewards ruled the speed of his entry – particularly with unknown damage – to be dangerous. Tsunoda acknowledged he had not set the speed limiter on entry, and was fined 1000 euro as well as being given a warning.
Since then, Tsunoda’s speeding has been more minor. Caught at 80.4km/h during second practice in Canada, he picked up another 100 euro fine, before two separate 100 euro infringements during first practice in Belgium as he came in at 80.1km/h.
10,000 euro – Nico Hulkenberg
- Hungarian GP – Procedural error – 5000 euro
- Austrian GP – Unsafe release – 5000 euro (suspended)
Haas made a procedural error during the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, in which the American squad physically returned a set of intermediate tyres to Pirelli ahead of qualifying, but failed to register it electronically.
As a breach of the Sporting Regulations, the stewards were left with no option but to penalise Haas, who were fined 5000 euro.
球队在奥地利大事件Prix Sprint Shootout in which Hulkenberg’s front-left tyre wasn’t cleared properly out of the way, leading the German driver to hit it as he drove away – the impact clattering his car into the air.
The stewards weren’t impressed by the unsafe release, and gave Haas a 5000 euro fine – although this fine is suspended on the proviso they don’t have any further unsafe releases this season.
10,000 euro – Mercedes
- Spanish GP – Procedural error – 10000 euro
The single largest fine of the season so far was handed out directly to the Mercedes team in Barcelona, following a procedural error after the race.
Part of the post-race procedure, as outlined by the Race Director, is that team physios and driver assistants are not permitted in parc ferme after the chequered flag. This is to ensure there is no possibility of any sneaky little tricks being used to try bumping up the driver’s weight at any point.
But the physios for both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton entered parc ferme in Barcelona, in violation of the podium ceremony procedure.
As the International Sporting Code placed responsibility for the actions on the part of any person providing a service directly on the competitor, Mercedes were slapped with the fine.
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