Esteban Ocon handed suspended €5,000 FIA fine for late Spa press conference

Ocon penalised for missing start of FIA media commitment

Esteban Ocon has been handed a suspended €5,000 fine by the FIA after arriving late for Thursday’s drivers’ press conference ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

The Haas driver was scheduled to appear in the first of two press conferences alongside Max Verstappen and Alex Albon. However, Ocon arrived approximately one minute late, taking his seat after the introductions had already begun.

The penalty follows standard FIA protocol for a driver who fails to meet an official media commitment on time. The fine will remain suspended for 12 months, meaning it will only be activated if Ocon commits a similar offence during that period.

The incident came as teams and drivers prepared for the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. Our Spa-Francorchamps weekend guide provides further coverage of the event.

Stewards cite timing responsibility

During the summons, Haas’ team representative apologised for Ocon’s late arrival and assured the stewards that the team would allow more time for official FIA media duties in the future.

The stewards’ report stated that Ocon had been scheduled to attend the press conference at 14:30, as listed in the official FIA media schedule. The driver explained that he had been unexpectedly delayed while rushing from a team meeting and had underestimated how long it would take to reach the session.

Ocon acknowledged the infringement, while also noting that he had missed only part of the introduction and had been present for all questions from media representatives.

The stewards accepted the explanation as a mitigating factor, although they did not consider the circumstances exceptional. They stressed that attendance at FIA press activities is an important part of the championship and that drivers must follow the published timetable unless exceptional circumstances prevent them from doing so.

Fine imposed on Haas

The report confirmed that the fine was imposed on the competitor rather than directly on the driver. Under Article 9.15.1 of the FIA International Sporting Code, the competitor is responsible for the actions of its driver.

As this was Haas’ first infringement of this type during the season, and after taking Ocon’s explanation into account, the stewards suspended the €5,000 fine for 12 months. Any further breach of a similar nature during that period would remove the suspension.