Norris and Leclerc summoned by FIA stewards for late Monaco press conference arrival

Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc have been summoned to appear before FIA stewards on Friday at the Monaco Grand Prix, before either driver has turned a wheel in practice, after both arrived late to the official Thursday press conference. The governing body cited an “alleged breach of Article B10.1.1a of the FIA F1 regulations – late attendance of the Thursday press conference” as the reason for the summons.

The Thursday press conference is a mandatory media obligation under the FIA’s sporting regulations, with Article B10 setting out the requirements placed on competitors regarding official media activities and ceremonies. The session currently runs across a one-hour timeslot, with the six selected drivers split into two groups of three — a format introduced to distribute media attention more evenly after larger, combined sessions were deemed unsatisfactory.

While arriving late may appear a minor infraction, the session carries regulatory weight partly because it is broadcast live. The FIA and Formula 1’s commercial rights holder both treat attendance standards seriously, and the stewards’ involvement before track action even begins underlines that the obligation is not merely ceremonial.

This is not the first time press conference conduct has drawn official scrutiny. In 2024, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem launched a campaign against expletives in official sessions, resulting in several drivers being sanctioned. Leclerc was fined €10,000 for swearing at the Mexico City Grand Prix that year, while Max Verstappen was ordered to perform community service after using language described by stewards as “coarse, rude” at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Verstappen also escaped punishment on a separate occasion in 2024 related to press conference timing, though the source material does not detail the full outcome of that case.

Norris and Leclerc did attend Thursday’s conference but failed to arrive promptly enough to satisfy the regulations. The stewards will hear from both drivers on Friday, with any penalty — should one be imposed — likely to be announced before or during the opening practice sessions at the Circuit de Monaco.