The FIA ​​has officially confirmed a significant increase in the cost of filing protests, appeals and requests for review in Formula 1 from the 2026 season. According to the new regulations, the contribution fee will increase from 2,000 Euros to 20,000 Euros and will be included in the teams’ budget limit.

The decision follows a wave of criticism after Red Bull made several protests against Mercedes driver George Russell during the 2025 season. After the Miami and Canadian Grand Prix both cases were dismissed by the stewards but caused delays and chaos in the paddock.

Russell and McLaren management have repeatedly emphasized that the upfront deposit is too low for teams with multimillion-dollar budgets. In their view, this encouraged speculative and tactical protests.

The FIA ​​says the new rules retain the right to appeal in the case of genuine infringements, but significantly increase financial liability for false complaints. This is expected to reduce the number of post-race disputes and make the protest procedure more balanced.

Mercedes driver George Russell said he was sincerely pleased with Lando Norris’ first Formula 1 championship, which he won in Abu Dhabi on the final stage of the season. According to Russell, he may have been jealous of his compatriot’s success at a younger age, but his views have now changed.

Norris became world champion, just two points ahead of Max Verstappen, despite a strong comeback from the Red Bull driver, who was looking to capture his fifth consecutive title.

Russell and Norris have known each other well since the teenage series; In particular, they fought for the Formula 2 championship won by Russell in 2018. Both made their Formula 1 debuts in 2019, but it was Norris who was first to top the championship.

Russell emphasized that he did not feel any jealousy after the McLaren driver’s victory.

“I’m very happy for him. Maybe when I was younger and less mature, I would have been jealous of my rival and compatriot winning the championship.

But as you get older, you realize how difficult it is to maintain a high level in this sport.”

Both Britons have become leaders of their teams over the years; Russell is at Mercedes, Norris is at McLaren. At the same time, while the Brackley team has been in decline in recent seasons, it was McLaren who were able to offer a car that could fight for the championship before Mercedes.

Russell also noted the importance of not missing a rare chance to compete for the championship and praised Norris for withstanding the pressure.

“We never know when our chance will come. I’m sure he didn’t know that opportunity would come this year.”

He showed an incredible performance, especially in the second half of the season. I’m happy for him, he deserves it,” Russell concluded.

Max Verstappen received his fifth consecutive Formula 1 Driver of the Year award despite being one step away from his fifth consecutive championship title in the 2025 season.

All but four riders participated in the anonymous survey, traditionally conducted among peloton pilots. According to the results, the Red Bull driver was ahead of the new world champion Lando Norris.

Drivers compiled their own top 10 using the standard Formula 1 points system. Verstappen secured first place with 25 points in six different votes.

Norris, who won his first championship after a difficult season, came second in the referee voting for the second time in a row.

McLaren secured the drivers’ title by enduring serious pressure from Verstappen and teammate Oscar Piastri in one of the most interesting seasons of recent years.

Third in the rankings was George Russell, up one place from last year. The Mercedes driver had a strong season, claiming two wins and seven podium finishes.

Piastri improved his position by one place and finished fourth, although his championship ambitions diminished in the autumn. At one point in the season the Australian was 34 points ahead of his rivals.

Rounding out the top 5 was Charles Leclerc, who dropped two places despite getting the most out of the Ferrari SF-25. The Monegasque achieved seven podiums and the Scuderia finished the season in fourth place in the Constructors’ Championship.

Carlos Sainz retained sixth place after an impressive recovery for Williams. Despite a difficult start for Grovey, the Spaniard managed to reach the podium twice in the second half of the season.

Fernando Alonso rose two places to seventh with his strong performance behind the wheel of the Aston Martin AMR25.

The eighth place was taken by Alex Albon, who had his best season at Williams. The top ten is rounded out by newcomers Oliver Berman and Isak Hajjar, who are known for their strong debut seasons.

It is noteworthy that Lewis Hamilton was not included in the voting for the first time since the beginning of this rating, which reflects the British pilot’s difficult first season with Ferrari.

Nico Hulkenberg, Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda also did not participate in the survey.