FIA overturn exemption ruling for four F1 teams

The FIA has opted to overturn an initial exemption ruling against four of the 10 F1 teams due to extenuating circumstances.

Because of freight issues out of Australia following the opening grand prix of the season at Melbourne's Albert Park, understood to be technical problems with at least two aircraft, several teams were delayed in their set-up for this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.

The FIA initially reduced the curfew imposed on the F1 teams for Wednesday night only after the freight delay caused "logistical challenges".

However, it was discovered that personnel from Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin still broke the revised curfew.

Via a statement, the FIA made clear those four teams had used one of its four allowed exemptions, or 'jokers' as they are ofen referred to, for the season.

An initial document from the stewards read: "Wednesday night team personnel of the McLaren Formula 1 Team, the Oracle Red Bull Racing team, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team and the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team who are associated with the operation of the car, were within the confines of the circuit during the 13-hour period which commenced at 17:30 on 19 March, 42 hours before the scheduled start time of P1 and ends 29 hours before the scheduled start time of P1 at 06:30 on 20 March.

"This was the first of the four individual exceptions permitted for the McLaren Formula 1 Team, the Oracle Red Bull Racing team, the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team and the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team during the 2025 Formula One Championship season and therefore no action should be taken."

Three hours later, however, the stewards revoked their initial decision, determining that "circumstances" had come into play, and the four teams would all retain their full amount of exemptions going forward.

A second stewards' statement read: "The stewards, having received a report from the FIA Technical Delegate (Document 7) that team personnel from McLaren F1 Team, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team and Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team who are associated with the running of the cars were within the confines of the circuit during the curfew period, decide that having regard to the fact that this was due to circumstances outside the control of the teams, that the teams will not be required to utilise one of the four individual exemptions permitted during the 2025 Formula One Championship under Article 23.6 of the FIA Formula One Sporting Regulations."