The Law of Formula One
In Formula One, the regulations are often as important as the racing. Clever interpretations (think Brawn GP’sdouble diffuseror McLaren’sF-duct) can catapult a car to the front of the pack, but mistakes can easily land a car outside the points (think Michael Schumacher’slate-race pass at Monacoin 2010).
While the drivers are out on track, their teams are keeping an eye out for rule infractions. A timely complaint to the race stewards can be as decisive as pole position. And withhundreds of millions of dollars at stakeover the course of a season, there is ample motivation to seek every advantage, on and off the track.
Most issues are settled at the race track, but the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the organization that sanctions the Formula One World Championship, also hasits own courts. The members of the International Tribunal and International Court of Appeals are lawyers from around the world (including two,Chris HarrisandDavid W. Rivkin, from the US). The IT and ICA function as quasi-criminal courts where the President of the FIA can prosecute teams and individuals and seek sanctions that include fines and bans from competition.
F1 law comes from theregulationspublished by the FIA. For F1, teams and drivers must follow theInternational Sporting Code and appendices plus two sets ofF1 regulations, the F1 Sporting Regulations and the F1 Technical Regulations. The International Sporting Code applies to all FIA-sanctioned events, from karting to F1, and covers things like pre-race parades, starts, officials, penalties, and betting. The technical regulations are the “formula” that teams have to follow when building their cars. The sporting regulations cover the races and practices, and include everything from who can promote a race to pit lane speeds to the post-race press conferences.
Of course, legal issues sometimes go beyond the FIA, as they did earlier this year when Giedo van der Gardesued Sauber for the right to drivein the Australian Grand Prix. Legal proceedings are usually a distraction at worst, but van der Garde’s lawsuit kept Sauber out of the first pre-race practice session in Australia and apparently it cost the team $16 million to keep him out of the cockpit.
On and off the track, Formula One is entangled with law. I’m looking forward to adding context to the issues that arise, digging up source documents, and following F1 from a lawyer’s point of view.