Toto Wolff and Fred Vasseur have been summoned to a meeting with the Stewards for their antics during a press conference in Las Vegas last weekend.
The Mercedes and Ferrari team bosses both fronted the press following the abridged Free Practice 1 session.
Opening practice was stopped after just eight minutes when a faulty drain cover damaged Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari and Esteban Ocon’s Alpine, prompting both teams to replace their respective chassis.
Vasseur was clearly frustrated with the situation in the press conference that followed, offering clipped answers before finally being drawn into a more expansive response in which he criticised the FIA.
“The show is the show and everything is going well but I think it’s just unacceptable for the F1 today,” Vasseur stated before sarcastically responding to a follow-up that it was “good news” that it was his last FIA press conference of the year.
Meanwhile, Wolff had an explosive moment after being asked if the aborted practice session left F1 with a black eye.
While responding to that question, a journalist scoffed at his response to draw Wolff’s ire.
“Did you ask the question,” Wolff quizzed.
“It’s completely ridiculous, completely ridiculous! FP1, how can you even dare trying to talk bad about an event that sets the new standards, new standards to everything.
“And then you’re speaking about a f***ing drain cover that’s been undone, that has happened before.”
Both Wolff and Vasseur have now been summoned to front the stewards over their behaviour, and more specifically, language, during that press conference.
“The Stewards of the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, having received a report from the FIA Media Delegate concerning the use of certain language at the FIA Press Conference in Las Vegas on 16 November, in view of the inability to conduct a hearing last Sunday morning, delegated their authority to the Stewards of the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix,” read the summons for Wolff, with Vasseur’s summons identical aside from the team name.
“Accordingly, the Stewards of the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix require the Team Principal of Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team to attend a Hearing in the Stewards Room, Yas Marina Circuit, at 1700 hrs Thursday 23 November 2023.
“The purpose of the Hearing will be to determine if there is a breach of Article 12.2.1.f of the FIA International Sporting Code and if so, what if any action should follow.”
Article 12.2.1.f of the International Sporting Code states: “Any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motor sport and on the values defended by the FIA.”
Earlier this year, Guenther Steiner was found guilty of a similar incident following comments he made after the Monaco Grand Prix.
The Haas boss was summoned over the following Spanish GP weekend and was reprimanded for his comments calling for permanent stewards.
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