The FIA has announced a significant increase in the deposit required for protests, appeals, and reviews in Formula 1. Starting with the 2026 season, the fee will rise from two thousand euros to twenty thousand euros. This deposit may be refunded if the protest, appeal, or review is successful, but the much higher amount increases the financial risk for teams that decide to challenge a decision. The change is part of the new 2026 F1 regulations and is intended to encourage teams to consider carefully before lodging disputes.

The decision follows a series of controversies during the 2025 season. Red Bull submitted two protests against Mercedes driver George Russell. The first was at the Miami Grand Prix and concerned an alleged failure to slow down sufficiently under yellow flags. The second took place in Canada and focused on the gap left by Russell behind the safety car. Both protests were ultimately dismissed by the stewards, but they caused delays, confusion, and public criticism. George Russell, as well as McLaren, argued that the previous fee of two thousand euros was far too low for teams operating with budgets of hundreds of millions of euros.

Russell explained that the old fee was not significant enough to influence a team’s decision to lodge a protest. He suggested that a higher amount would make teams think twice before taking action. McLaren CEO Zak Brown also spoke out during the 2025 season, criticising Red Bull for what he described as behind-the-scenes pressure and arguing that protests should be supported by a substantial financial deposit. He proposed a fee of twenty-five thousand dollars, which would also count against a team’s cost cap, as a meaningful deterrent to speculative challenges. The FIA’s final decision of twenty thousand euros is slightly lower than Brown’s suggestion, but it is still a tenfold increase from the previous amount and will be counted against a team’s cost cap.

The new 2026 F1 regulations make clear that all protests, appeals, and petitions for a right of review require a deposit of twenty thousand euros. Appeals carry an additional non-refundable administrative fee of five thousand euros for teams, drivers, and power unit manufacturers. Smaller participants, not covered by these categories, must pay a deposit of six thousand euros and a one thousand euro administrative fee. The rules also clarify that not all decisions can be appealed, with procedural and interim decisions excluded, and that sanctions under appeal are generally suspended unless decided otherwise by the International Court of Appeal.

The FIA’s changes are intended to make the protest process more serious and reduce unnecessary disputes. Teams will now face a much higher financial risk when challenging decisions, which should discourage tactical or minor protests. At the same time, the regulations continue to allow teams to challenge decisions when they genuinely believe that a rule has been broken.