FIA president handed staggering complaints letter from all Formula E drivers - report

The entire Formula E grid has signed a staggering letter sent to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, calling for change in the series, reports The Race.

According to the publication, the letter was sent to the FIA president by Formula E drivers' group representatives Lucas di Grassi and Oliver Rowland on March 11, and was signed by all 20 drivers.

The letter outlined complaints about the level of stewarding, race direction, and how some of the sporting regulations were being applied.

It was addressed directly to Ben Sulayem – who is reportedly scheduled to attend this weekend's Madrid E-Prix – with The Race having shared details of its contents.

In the remarkable letter, the drivers initially praised that they "see a lot of effort and improvement year over year with the local ASNs, marshalling, safety, track conditions, technical fairness and general protocols".

However, it quickly takes a very different direction, with the drivers outlining a desire to "formally express our shared and growing concern regarding the current standard, consistency and procedural coherence of stewarding and race direction within the championship".

Drivers are eager for, and have been pushing for, more consistent stewarding and driver advisers with "direct" Formula E experience.

Perhaps the biggest bombshell in the letter is a request for an "internal evaluation of (the) race director (sic) understanding and reasoning of the sporting rules", adding: "Without the capacity – and humility – to acknowledge and learn from mistakes, there is little evidence of continuous improvement".

Formula E's current race director is Marek Hanaczewski, who took over from the highly respected Scot Elkins after last year's Miami E-Prix. Prior to that, Hanaczewski worked alongside Elkins.

Incredibly, the majority of team principals were completely unaware that the letter was being written by the drivers, with The Race understanding that driver fines and bonuses being withheld are possibilities.

RacingNews365 understands that, following the letter from the drivers to the FIA president, Formula E Teams and Manufacturers (FETAMA) wrote their own letter, outlining that they do not agree with the drivers' views.

In a statement issued to RacingNews365, an FIA spokesperson said on the matter: "The FIA is in regular correspondence with ABB FIA Formula E World Championship manufacturers, teams and drivers on a variety of topics. 

"We are reviewing the comments on sporting matters raised recently by drivers, and will continue with the same proactive approach to develop and invest in this championship, ensuring the highest standards are maintained."