The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) issued a firm statement on Tuesday, August 25, condemning online abuse directed at race stewards following the Dutch Grand Prix. The governing body highlighted that officials were targeted after applying sporting penalties in line with FIA regulations during the event at Circuit Zandvoort.
The abuse primarily stemmed from decisions made during Sunday’s race, which saw Alpine driver Franco Colapinto receive two penalties. Colapinto was handed a drive-through penalty for overtaking under double yellow flags and a subsequent 10-second time penalty for failing to slow under a yellow flag.
Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad also received a drive-through penalty for a similar yellow flag infringement. These penalties followed an early race incident involving a heavy crash for Max Verstappen, which necessitated the yellow flag conditions.
Sean Summers, Chief Marketing Officer for Mercado Libre, a primary sponsor of Colapinto, publicly criticized the stewards on social media. Summers stated that FIA stewards were ‘killing the integrity of F1’ and questioned their competence or honesty.
The FIA’s statement was issued through its ‘United Against Online Abuse’ (UAOA) coalition, which was founded in 2023 after a steward faced targeted abuse following the United States Grand Prix. The coalition emphasizes that disagreement with decisions is part of sport, but threats or personal attacks are unacceptable.
The UAOA campaign, which held its first ‘United Against Online Abuse Day’ at the British Grand Prix on July 7, 2026, urges all participants to engage with respect and responsibility. Alpine later released its own statement, accepting the penalties and expressing trust in the stewards’ application of regulations.
Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton issued a public apology on Monday, August 25, for comments made during the Dutch Grand Prix. Hamilton, who finished fourth, expressed frustration over Ferrari’s strategy during the race.
The seven-time world champion was held up by teammate Charles Leclerc for several laps, despite being on a different tyre strategy and believing he had more pace. Leclerc reportedly refused a team order to pit, costing Hamilton valuable track time.
Hamilton’s radio messages included sarcastic remarks such as ‘Great waste of time there, guys’ after Leclerc eventually pitted. He also questioned strategy during a Virtual Safety Car period, asking if he was being used as a ‘guinea pig’.
His apology, posted on social media, acknowledged that his comments were made ‘in the heat of the moment’ and ‘that wasn’t the best version of me’. Hamilton took responsibility for his actions and vowed to ‘be better’.
Hamilton reaffirmed his belief in Ferrari and the team’s ongoing efforts. The incident and subsequent apology occurred as Hamilton currently holds third place in the 2026 Drivers’ Championship standings.
The Dutch Grand Prix itself saw Lando Norris claim victory for McLaren, marking his second consecutive win of the season. Kimi Antonelli finished second for Mercedes, with his teammate George Russell securing third place.
