Olav Mol has strongly criticised the FIA’s penalty decisions during the recent Dutch Grand Prix, labelling them as ‘outrageous’. The prominent Dutch Formula 1 commentator voiced his disapproval on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, following the controversial race weekend at Circuit Zandvoort.
The 2026 Dutch Grand Prix, held from August 21 to 23, concluded with several contentious penalties that drew significant expert scrutiny. These sanctions were applied to drivers including Arvid Lindblad of Racing Bulls, Liam Lawson of Red Bull, and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.
Mol specifically argued that the penalised drivers should not have received sanctions. He claimed that the drivers in question were merely easing off the throttle, which naturally allowed those behind them to overtake.
Speaking on Ziggo Sport’s De Stamtafel, Mol stated,
‘It wasn’t a deliberate move to overtake Yuki Tsunoda. Tsunoda was forced to slow down, and punishing that move is simply unacceptable.’
His comments underscore a perceived over-application of regulations.
Jan Lammers, another respected Dutch F1 expert, echoed Mol’s sentiments. Lammers remarked that the stewards’ approach was ‘a case of following the letter of the law rather than honouring its spirit.’
The controversy surrounding these decisions extended to social media, where race stewards faced targeted online abuse. Sean Summers, CMO of Colapinto’s sponsor Mercado Libre, notably launched a strong attack on the stewards in a social media message, which was later deleted.
In response to the online backlash, the FIA issued a strongly-worded statement condemning all forms of abuse and harassment directed at its officials. The governing body reiterated that disagreement with decisions, while part of sport, does not justify threats or personal attacks.
The FIA’s statement highlighted its ‘United Against Online Abuse’ coalition, launched in 2023 after a steward faced targeted abuse following the United States Grand Prix. This initiative aims to combat such behaviour within motorsport.
Despite the FIA’s defence, the debate over the proportionality and interpretation of the rules at Zandvoort continues among F1 analysts. The incident has reignited discussions about consistency in stewarding decisions.
The penalties imposed on Lindblad and Colapinto, in particular, had drawn the strongest criticism from Dutch experts. The stewards’ rulings on these penalties did acknowledge ‘mitigating circumstances,’ reducing punishments from standard 10-second stop-go penalties to drive-throughs.
