FIA bans journalist for criticising Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc

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ExpandCharles Leclerc in action at Austin’s Circuit of the Americas. Picture: Michael Johnson/Imagn Images via Reuters The Daily Mail will boycott the final three races of the Formula One season after the FIA revoked veteran journalist Jonathan McEvoy’s media credentials over an opinion column criticising Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc.

The British newspaper announced on Friday that it would not report on races or news conferences for the remainder of 2026 in protest of the decision by the world motor sport governing body to bar McEvoy from covering the Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi grands prix.

McEvoy, who has covered F1 for more than two decades, learned on Thursday that his accreditation had been withdrawn after a November 4 opinion column in which he called Leclerc a “sneaky little bastard”.

The criticism stemmed from an opening-lap incident at the Mexico City GP involving Leclerc and Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton. Both drivers went off the track while battling for the lead at Turn 4, with Leclerc cutting across the grass to emerge ahead and Max Verstappen passing Hamilton for second. Leclerc subsequently received a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage off the track.

The FIA defended its decision, saying McEvoy’s column “fell short of the standards of professionalism expected [from accredited journalists]“. The governing body said its accreditation guidelines allow it to revoke credentials without notice and stressed that the decision did not prevent the Daily Mail from sending another reporter.

Daily Mail head of sport Chris Dean called the punishment “an unprecedented and outrageous attack on the freedom of the press”, and demanded McEvoy’s reinstatement.

In a subsequent column, McEvoy suggested that Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur had prompted the FIA’s decision, although a Ferrari source told The Athletic that Vasseur had not lodged a complaint.

The Society of Editors also condemned the decision on Friday, arguing that withdrawing accreditation over published criticism threatened independent sports journalism.

McEvoy said he was told his accreditation would be reinstated next season, although the FIA had not publicly confirmed that.

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