Jonathan McEvoy lost his credential after calling Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc a sneaky little bastard in a headline.
The FIA has pulled Jonathan McEvoy's media accreditation for the remainder of the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Daily Mail motor racing writer drew the governing body's ire after an opinion piece published on Nov. 4, which called Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc a "sneaky little b*****d" in the headline.
The ban means McEvoy will not be covering the three remaining races of the season in person. The FIA confirmed the decision on Thursday.
In a statement issued to Front Office Sports, the FIA pointed to its own guidelines as justification. The statement noted that media accreditation under the 2026 FIA Formula One World Championship Guidelines is granted at the FIA's sole discretion and can be revoked at any time without notice, with the highest standards expected of accredited media.
The move is a rare example of the FIA directly pulling credentials over commentary about a driver, rather than over conduct at the track itself. Leclerc has not publicly commented on the ban.