The FIA has chosen to increase the maximum fine the race stewards can impose on a grand prix weekend, starting in 2011.
Currently, if the stewards choose to penalise a team with a monetary fine, the maximum amount they can impose is £60,000 ($100,000). This amount is, by Formula One standards, pocket-change.
The new amount has been increased by more than double, to £155,000 ($250,000). Again, this isn’t anything for a team such as Ferrari or McLaren, especially when compared to the £60m ($100m) fine imposed on the Woking-based squad during the spy-scandal of 2007.
The change comes in response to the team orders scandal involving Ferrari earlier this year. The stewards chose to impose the maximum fine they could, however, further punishment was avoided, setting a dangerous precedence which suggested teams could use team orders and only face a small fine.
