The FIA has withdrawn the accreditation of Jonathan McEvoy, the Daily Mail’s long-serving Formula 1 correspondent, following an insult directed at Charles Leclerc. The decision takes immediate effect and applies for the remainder of the 2026 season. The British journalist will therefore lose his accredited access to the final three rounds in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

What did he write about Leclerc?

The dispute stems from an opinion column published on 4 November about tensions between Ferrari’s drivers after the Mexico City Grand Prix. McEvoy sided with Lewis Hamilton and described Leclerc as a “sneaky little bastard”.

The journalist also reported on a tense post-race discussion involving the two drivers and Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur. McEvoy subsequently defended the phrase as part of a joking, almost light-hearted column.

Why did the FIA withdraw his pass?

In a letter dated 12 November, FIA general manager Alberto Villarreal informed McEvoy that his accreditation was being withdrawn. The governing body said the article fell short of the professional standards expected of journalists accredited to cover the championship.

The FIA confirmed the measure to Front Office Sports and stressed that it applies only to the individual reporter. The Daily Mail remains free to nominate another representative. The federation cited its accreditation guidelines, under which access may be revoked.

Daily Mail responds with a boycott

The newspaper has instead chosen to escalate the dispute. On 13 November, the Daily Mail announced that it would not report on races or press conferences at the final three rounds of the season in protest at the sanction imposed on its correspondent.

Head of sport Chris Dean described the decision as an attack on press freedom and called for McEvoy’s accreditation to be reinstated. He argued that the FIA had responded disproportionately to criticism of one driver.

Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone also defended McEvoy and questioned the need for such a measure.

Vasseur accused, but no evidence confirmed

Following the sanction, McEvoy turned his criticism towards Vasseur. He suggested that the Ferrari boss had reported the article to the FIA and directed further personal insults at him. However, there is no confirmation that Vasseur, Ferrari or Leclerc himself requested his exclusion.

The case raises questions about the boundary between robust journalism and personal insults, as well as whether withdrawing access is a proportionate response. For now, the officially announced sanction runs until the end of 2026.

Photo: LAP.bg. Sources: Front Office Sports, Crash.net, GPFans.