The Japanese Grand Prix stewards have fined Carlos Sainz Jnr €20,000 (£17,000) because he arrived late to the pre-race performance of the national anthem.
Half of the Williams driver’s fine has been suspended providing he does not commit the same breach of the rules over the next 12 months.The stewards pointed out drivers had been “reminded of the requirement to be in position by the time prescribed in the regulations and the need to show respect for the host country’s anthem.” Princess Akiko of Mikasa attended today’s race at Suzuka.
Sainz told the stewards he arrived late due to a stomach complaint, which was verified by a doctor. The stewards therefore reduced the fine from the FIA’s guideline value of €60,000 (£54,000).
“During the drivers’ briefing on Friday all drivers were reminded of the requirement to be in position by the time prescribed in the regulations and the need to show respect for the host country’s anthem,” the stewards explained.
“It is noted that the Penalty Guidelines prescribed in Appendix B of the FIA International Sporting Code, list a penalty for this offence, of €60,000. However in mitigation, the driver stated that just prior to the anthem, he experienced discomfort due [to] a stomach issue which delayed his appearance on the grid. This was verified by Dr Messina of Med-Ex who confirmed the issue and stated he had provided appropriate medication for the driver.
“Notwithstanding the above, displaying respect for the national anthem is a high priority and all parties need to consider every eventuality in planning to be in position for the anthem by the required time. Hence a penalty similar to that imposed for a similar breach in Canada in 2024, is imposed.
Yuki Tsunoda was fined €10,000 for arriving late to the national anthem performance at the Canadian Grand Prix last year.
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2025 Japanese Grand Prix
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Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
6th April 2025, 10:20
Carlos is probably more bothered about his late arrival at the chequered flag.
I know it’s probably small change if you’re an F1 driver, and FIA has an election campaign to pay for, but these fines are crazy.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
6th April 2025, 13:54
I have no idea how much Carlos earns, but the ‘guideline’ being €60,000 / £54,000 for needing to use the bathroom, and thus ‘disrespecting’ a nation seems excessive. If drivers regularly don’t attend, maybe. But we’ve all ‘needed to go’ and it’s not fun.
Perhaps the US is the most fervent in terms of anthems, but even then, I think most would agree they’d rather you left than soil yourself. I don’t like Belgian service stations, or Euston and having to pay to use the bathroom, I can’t imagine paying £54,000 because the Canadian national anthem was playing.
*Having lived in Canada, and how ‘droll’ that anthem is, I’m not surprised Yuki didn’t go. I’ve been to enough hockey matches to want the bathroom.
** I think we should all agree the Italian one is the best, it’s just fun. You could soil yourself and it’d still be fun.
S Arkazam
6th April 2025, 16:07
Could I have a quick show of hands of people who expect the Italian anthem to start whenever the German one finishes.
James
8th April 2025, 12:07
Yep! Two of the best anthems too.
Keith Campbell (@keithedin)
6th April 2025, 21:33
@bullfrog Small change for most F1 drivers, but not all. I remember the Alpha Tauri drivers a few years ago reportedly being paid salaries in the region of $150,000 (before tax). A fine of €60,000 would be a massive hit for them.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
9th April 2025, 4:27
The fines aren’t crazy, they are criminal. And the EU should be trust busting the FIA but they won’t because everyone is on the take these days.
Just remember that the powers that be, want the fans to emulate the behaviors of the drivers/celebrities they see on television. So what is really going on, is the establishment is buttering up the viewers for increased fines. To be slowed down because of ‘climate’. To jump through hoops because a polar bear might die. Because the earth is going to get really warm soon. They swear…. Because the pinata is about to drop, and if you aren’t in the club, you is in the pinata.
baasbas
6th April 2025, 12:19
That’s an expensive poop
Jungle
6th April 2025, 12:47
It wouldn’t have worried Kimi! (Raikkonen)
Imre (@f1mre)
6th April 2025, 14:36
60 000 EUR penalty for missing a national anthem. Insanity.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
6th April 2025, 14:47
@f1mre I couldn’t agree more. This, for me, is far worse than the fines for swearing.
Rinald
6th April 2025, 15:43
Yeah, these fines are absolutely ridiculous.
Esploratore (@esploratore1)
7th April 2025, 5:27
Looks like it’s been reduced to 20k btw, at least judging from the title.
Jockey Ewing
6th April 2025, 15:48
60000, seems like they are about to be transferred to a correctional institute or under the watch of a handler already.
But they can not contrive a rule for flexi-wings that does not need to be readjusted regularly. I am sure these capitalists would understand the language of having to pay millions per flying off wing element, and significantly even more if it causes injury as a baseline. Actually, they could hand over every wing to the scrutineers after the race, who could X-Ray them, and if they find a crack larger than whatever predefined value, they could also pay something like 60000 EUR or more. If they still do not understand it, they could pay it out of their team’s cost cap allowance. I am sure it would be sufficient as a rule, because everyone can only be effectively handled via an approach what said entity understands. Instead, they generate these pointless and shoreless debates when the rule needs to be adjusted, and those make the sport look worse and the participants not any better either.
Jockey Ewing
6th April 2025, 15:54
PS: I might have turned this sour, because some have laready overtokk me with the Kimi-reference :D
MichaelN
6th April 2025, 16:49
This fine sounds absurd, but so are the salaries F1 drivers get.
This obviously wouldn’t happen in other series, and the FIA uses it as an additional revenue stream with which they fund many other programs. It’s a bit of deferred community service for F1’s millionaires.
anon
6th April 2025, 22:50
MichaelN, we know you always take the pro-FIA line, but whilst you are trying to claim that it’s acceptable to levy the fines “as an additional revenue stream with which they fund many other programs”, we have Tombazis, in his role as a representative of the FIA, stating that the FIA are not imposing fines as an additional revenue stream. In claiming that it is being used as an additional revenue stream, are you therefore claiming that the FIA is lying to the public when they claim that is not the purpose of levying those fines?
Dex
6th April 2025, 21:55
And if he showed up to for the anthem with his backside soaked in brown… stuff, they would consider that respectful? This is an outrage and he should definitely sue them. There are things you cannot demand of someone, especially not for something trivial as this.
And they always “worry” about drivers’ health and brag about it.