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I am aware that a Formula 1 driver requires an F1 Super License.

Motorsportweek

From having an F1 Super Licence to meeting a weight minimum, there are several aspects Formula 1 drivers and individuals dreaming of getting there must take into account, so no, it is by no means a slapdash sport; it is rigorous, arduous, and requires much work.

Question

What I am less aware about is whether or not a Formula 1 driver loses their F1 Super License upon becoming disqualified from driving.

Example

For anyone that does not understand the question, then let's say for example that a Formula 1 driver goes out for a drive around the city and gets charged with drink driving, and then later in court gets found guilty and loses his normal driving license. In this instance, does the driver also lose his F1 Super License?

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  • This is a good question. In at least some jurisdictions, a normal driving license is not required to drive on fully private courses, including racetracks, if they don't connect to the public road system. It's thus possible (though improbable) for there to be a Formula 1 driver who has never driven on public roads and has no interest in doing so.
    – Robert Columbia
    Sep 14, 2022 at 14:27

1 Answer 1

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Until 2015, having a Super License did not require you to have a regular road license first. That year, however, Max Verstappen earned his Super License (and made his F1 debut) before he earned his road license, and the rules were changed.

Since then, as per Appendix L of the FIA International Sporting Code (link in French), a driver must hold a valid road license in order to be eligible for a Super License. However, this only applies the first time you apply for one, so while Super Licenses have to be renewed annually, losing your road license would not automatically cost you your Super License, nor prevent you from renewing it.

It is, however, likely that a driver convicted of drunk-driving would be charged by the FIA with bringing the sport into disrepute, and sanctioned accordingly. This may include having their Super License revoked, but I can't find any rules stating that a driver may lose their Super License due to off-track offences, nor am I aware of any precedent. The only driver I know of to have received a criminal conviction while competing in F1 was Bertrand Gachot in 1991, and while he was sacked by Jordan, he did not lose his Super License and returned to the sport with Larrousse immediately after his release.

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  • That is not true anymore (in reaction to Max Verstappen, actually). The sporting regulations state, Appendix L, article 13.1.2: The driver must be the holder of a valid driving licence when he applies for a Super Licence for the first time.
    – Maxime
    Sep 14, 2022 at 20:07
  • @Maxime I knew they'd changed something but I wasn't sure what. I'll amend my answer.
    – F1Krazy
    Sep 14, 2022 at 20:24
  • @Maxime I wonder, what is the point, though? Sure, it's still a car with an engine and four wheels. But rules, regulations, skills, don't translate. How does a conventional driving licence help a F1 driver?
    – magma
    Sep 14, 2022 at 20:25
  • @magma The point is to prevent an other Max Verstappen - twitter.com/wbuxtonofficial/status/1567596257299791872
    – Maxime
    Sep 15, 2022 at 9:03

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