Jonathan McEvoy, the Day by day Mail’s long-serving and distinguished Motor Racing Correspondent, has been banned from attending the remaining races of the 2026 System One season by the game’s governing physique.
In a barely plausible assault on press freedom, the FIA right now wrote to the Day by day Mail to substantiate McEvoy’s accreditation had been revoked in response to a column he had written about Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.
McEvoy’s feedback have been made after Leclerc’s team-mate, Britain’s seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, questioned Leclerc’s mentality after the pair have been embroiled in a contentious, opening lap conflict finally month’s Mexico Grand Prix.
McEvoy, who’s thought to be the authoritative voice within the paddock, labelled the Monegasque driver a ‘sneaky little b*****d’ for his behaviour, earlier than revealing particulars of a tense post-race debrief with Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur.
Thursday’s letter, written by FIA basic supervisor Alberto Villarreal, said: ‘The FIA considers that your article falls wanting the requirements of professionalism anticipated of media representatives accredited to cowl the FIA System One World Championship.
‘Accordingly, the FIA has determined to train its discretion beneath the 2026 FIA System One World Championship Accreditation Pointers to withdraw your media accreditation for the rest of the 2026 season, with quick impact.’
Jonathan McEvoy’s column was written after Lewis Hamilton questioned Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc’s mentality
McEvoy, pictured with Max Verstappen and Christian Horner in 2021, has devoted the final 21 years of his working life to journey tens of hundreds of miles to cowl nearly 400 grands prix
McEvoy is held within the highest esteem by the good and good of the game and has devoted the final 21 years of his working life to journey tens of hundreds of miles to cowl nearly 400 grands prix for the Day by day Mail.
In that point, he has missed solely a handful of races.
In such time he has written illuminating, insightful and piercing copy liked by tens of millions of loyal Day by day Mail readers.
He has interviewed the game’s greatest names, from Bernie Ecclestone to Sir Jackie Stewart and Christian Horner to Max Verstappen.
Day by day Mail head of sport Chris Dean mentioned: ‘That is an unprecedented and outrageous assault on the liberty of the Press.
‘We’re in harmful territory when the FIA react in such a heavy-handed solution to some gentle and honest criticism of 1 driver.
McEvoy’s column on the Leclerc and Hamilton state of affairs – which you’ll be able to read HERE
Mohammed ben Sulayem, FIA President, is pictured on the F1 Grand Prix of United States
‘Jonathan McEvoy is a fearless and first-rate journalist who takes readers backstage of F1’s shiny exterior. The FIA ought to reinstate his accreditation instantly.’
F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone mentioned: ‘It is loopy. I do not know why the FIA would ever do this.
‘Aside from the actual fact I like Jon, he’s doing a incredible job.
‘I stay up for studying what he is writing. I haven’t got to, it is my selection to do this. I feel it is utterly mad.’
