The world of Formula 1 has been discredited again by statements controversial by former world champion Jacques Villeneuve. The Canadian, who won the world title in 1997, accused the FIA, the International Motorsport Federation, of manipulating the results of the championship in the 2025 season by Max Verstappen more strict than its competitors, in particular the McLaren driver Oscar Piastri. Villeneuve’s comments, expressed during an interview with Vision4Sport on May 13, 2025, have unleashed a wave of discussion in the Paddock and among fans, especially because this year Verstappen has difficulties in retaining their dominance in a more competitive field.
Villeneuve’s accusations focus on what he sees as an unequal treatment of drivers by the FIA. According to the former pilot, Piastri, who won four victories this season in the first six races and leadership in the championship, is punished less fast than Verstappen. “If something happens, Piastri does not receive punishment as fast as Max Verstappen, for example. That also helps greatly in the battle for the championship,” said Villeneuve. He pointed out incidents in Saudi and Miami Arabia, where Piaastri began to fight with Verstappen and left the winner, partly due to a penalty of time for the Dutchman in Jeddah. This inequality in punishments, says Villeneuve, Piastri offers an unfair advantage in the race for the title.
Villeneuve’s criticism comes at a time when Verstappen, who won four worldwide titles, is going through a challenging season. McLaren has a strong car this year, and Piaastri leads the championship with 32 points ahead of Verstappen, which is in third place. This season, Verstappen has had to deal with several sanctions, including a surprising collision with George Russell during the Spain Grand Prix on June 1, 2025, so he received a penalty of time and penalty points in his super license. With eight penalty points in his license, Verstappen is just one point of a possible suspension, which exerts pressure on his title opportunities. Villeneuve suggests that the strictest approach to the FIA for Verstappen is part of a broader agenda to make competition more exciting when the Dutch disadvantage.
Villeneuve’s statements are not exempt from precedents. At the beginning of this season, Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, also criticized the FIA after two ten seconds penalties that Max received during the Mexican Grand Prix in 2024. Jos described the decisions of the butlers “hitting” and suggested that there were lots. Fia-Steward Johnny Herbert, who was involved in those punishments, defended the decisions, but also declared that he was a “great fan” of Verstappen, who did not reduce the tensions. These incidents have further promoted the discussion about the consistency of Fias administration decisions.
FIA itself responded to the growing criticism by adjusting the rules on inappropriate language and misconduct in May 2025. The maximum fines for such violations were reduced in half, and the butlers can now impose conditional punishments in case of a first violation. The president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, emphasized that these changes are destined to better manage emotions during careers, but critics, including Villeneuve, see this as an attempt to appease public perception without addressing the core of the problem. Verstappen has indicated that it is more careful in its statements, especially after the introduction of stricter rules against Schelden, which in 2025 can produce fines of up to 240,000 euros and even suspensions.
The controversy surrounding the fis also has broader implications for sport. Villeneuve’s comments feed the speculation about the future of Verstappen, which according to rumors can leave Red Bull in 2026 due to the new engine regulations and the strong performance of competitors such as Mercedes. Despite his contract until 2028, a clause could allow him to leave if Red Bull does not remain competitive. At the moment, Verstappen is still focused, but its recent silence in the media, as reported by Racingnews365, suggests that it feels the pressure of FIA and public opinion.
While the 2025 season continues, the question remains whether FIA’s decisions will really influence the championship results. The accusations of Villeneuve have the foci aimed at the integrity of the sport, and the fans anxiously expect the next races to see if Verstappen can compensate for their request for orders or if the supposed preferred treatment of Piastri will give you the title.
