Daily Mail boycotts Formula One coverage after FIA journalist ban

The Daily Mail will boycott Formula One coverage for the final three races of the 2026 season. This decision follows a ban by the FIA on motorsport correspondent Jonathan McEvoy. The governing body revoked his media accreditation for the upcoming races in Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. This punishment stems from a column where McEvoy described Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc as "a sneaky little b**".

An outrageous attack on press freedom

The Daily Mail escalated the situation 24 hours after the FIA decision. The paper announced it will not report on races or press conferences for the remainder of the season. Chris Dean, the Daily Mail head of sport, called the move an "unprecedented and outrageous attack on the freedom of the Press." He argued that the FIA reacted in a heavy-handed way to mild criticism of a driver. I find the FIA’s attempt to silence a reporter over a single column completely indefensible.

McEvoy reacted furiously to the ban in another column late on Thursday. In that piece, he was highly critical of Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur. News industry leaders have condemned the FIA decision to withdraw the accreditation. Top drivers and other figures in the sport also offered their private support to McEvoy. The Daily Mail demands that the FIA reinstate his accreditation immediately. McEvoy is a journalist who takes readers behind the curtain of F1’s shiny exterior.