Competitor's Staff Licence and Ambassadors For The Sport

“Competitor’s staff” FIA Licence
A proposal relating to specific licences for members of staff of competitors entered in the FIA World Championships has been submitted to the Formula One Commission. This is under consideration for implementation in the FIA Formula One World Championship from the start of 2011, with a view to inclusion in other FIA World Championships in the future.

What this translates into is the following:

The World Motor Sport Council had submitted a proposal to the General Assembly that a specific licence is created for a restricted list of members of staff of the competitors entered in the FIA World Championships. The aim is to introduce a system that ensures they are subject to the criteria set out in a new FIA Code of Good Standing. This would apply to a minimum of six people per competitor, including the Team Principal, Sporting Director, Team Manager, Technical Director and two race engineers (or equivalent).

A new mechanism will be introduced to control access to areas under the jurisdiction of the FIA and no pass of any kind will be issued to any person or body who is not in good standing for the purposes of the FIA International Sporting Code. Entrants will also become responsible for their staff, meaning any person connected directly or indirectly with the entrant in connection with their participation in an event.

It was granted and will be implemented in the Formula One Season in 2011.

The 'competitor’s staff licence' is a response to what happened with former Renault team boss, Flavio Briatore and former Renault executive director of engineering, Pat Symonds following Singapore-gate, the race fixing scandal, which engulfed Formula One in 2008.

For those who may not remember the going-ons in Singapore, here is a very quick over-view:

On 28 September 2008, on the fourteenth lap of the Singapore race, the Renault R28 driven by Piquet crashed into the circuit wall at turn seventeen, necessitating a safety car deployment. The other Renault driver, Fernando Alonso, subsequently went on to win the race. Piquet described his crash at the time as a simple mistake. After being dropped by the Renault team following the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, Piquet alleged that he had been asked by the team to deliberately crash to improve the race situation for Alonso



Flavio Briatore and Pat Symonds



On 21 September it was announced that the Renault F1 team had been handed a disqualification from Formula One, which was suspended for two years pending any further comparable rule infringements. Briatore was suspended from all Formula One events and FIA-sanctioned events indefinitely, whilst Symonds received a five-year ban.

Many people believe this new rule to coincide with this issue so the FIA has control of who is allowed into Formula One and who is not.  Trying to keep previously banned individuals out as long as the FIA sees fit. 

There is a second part to this new FIA regulation as well. It has been imposed primarily due to incidences like Lewis Hamilton has been invloved in. In 2007, Hamilton was banned from driving in France after being clocked driving at 123mph. He was given an on-the-spot fine and his sports car was impounded by French police.

In Australia in he had driven his silver Mercedes E500 sports saloon on to a part of the street circuit to perform manoeuvres known as a “burnout” and a “fishtail”. The smoking tyres of his car were spotted by police and he was pulled over. Police said that he would be charged with improper use of a motor vehicle, while his car, lent by a local dealer, was sent to a pound in the city where it will be kept for 48 hours.

The FIA has also proposed that if Formula One drivers commit a serious road traffic offence they could also be punished by the sport’s governing body. They suggest new amendments to the international sporting code which could see drivers being handed a warning, referred to a disciplinary tribunal or having their super licence revoked if they are found guilty of poor driving.

“The FIA, both in its motor sport and mobility roles, has a strong interest in promoting road safety,” it explained. “Competitors at FIA events must act as ambassadors for the sport, be aware their conduct on the road must be exemplary and respect road safety rules. A proposal to amend the international sporting code will be submitted to the FIA General Assembly to clarify that any holder of an International Super Licence must also be in possession of a current road driving licence.

“Additionally, the Code will be amended to clarify that if an International Super Licence holder is involved in a serious road traffic offence recognised by a national police authority, the FIA, depending on the severity of the case, may issue a warning or refer the matter to the International Disciplinary Tribunal, which may temporarily or indefinitely withdraw the competitor’s International Super Licence.”