The GPDA was founded in May 1961 and, following an election by members, its inaugural Chairman was Stirling Moss.
Its initial aims of this organisation were to obtain representation on the Commission Sportive Internationale (CSI) of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), which at the time was motorsport's governing body, in order to improve safety standards and provisions for both drivers and spectators. After Moss retired from the sport in 1963, Jo Bonnier succeeded him.[1]
Ahead of the 1994 season, the FIA banned electronic driver aids such as active suspension and traction control.[4][5] The speed of the change (the FIA was so eager to implement the ban that it initially suggested imposing the ban in the middle of the 1993 season[5]) was criticised by several drivers, who believed that it would lead to unsafe design flaws in the 1994 cars. Williams' Ayrton Senna publicly complained that the 1994 cars were less safe and predicted "lots of accidents," and McLaren's Martin Brundle claimed that because of the rushed nature of the changes, the drivers had "less control of the car" than in years past.[6]
In 1996, the drivers incorporated the GPDA as a UK company limited by guarantee ("Grand Prix Drivers Association Ltd").[11] For the first time, the association had a formal corporate constitution and permanent offices in Monaco.[10] The first directors of the incorporated GPDA were Brundle, Schumacher, and Berger.[12]
Membership and leadership
Membership of GPDA is not compulsory. For example, during the 2013 Formula One season, only 19 out of 22 active drivers were members (with Kimi Räikkönen, Adrian Sutil and Valtteri Bottas being the exceptions).[13] As of 2008 membership cost £2,000.[14] It was announced on 13 December 2017 that all the drivers had signed up.[15]
GPDA members elect their representatives. As of 2024, there are three directors: active Formula One driver George Russell, legal adviser Anastasia Fowle (the first non-F1 driver past or present to be appointed a GPDA director) and former Formula One driver Alexander Wurz, who serves as chairman.[16][17][18] The most recent director to step down from active leadership was Sebastian Vettel in February 2024,[19] although he remains listed as a director on the Companies House website as of December 2024.[11]
During the 2005 season the GPDA became increasingly involved in the politics (and controversy) of Formula One.
Following the United States Grand Prix, the GPDA issued a statement supporting the case of the Michelin teams in the FIA World Motor Sport Council. Significantly, though the majority of drivers signed the statement, Michael Schumacher did not. He claimed that he was not asked to and would not have done so, in any event. The statement claimed that the FIA's proposed solutions to the problems experienced by the Michelin teams were unworkable. Schumacher claimed the problems at Indianapolis were technical rather than a safety issue.
A meeting between the GPDA and FIA president Max Mosley, scheduled for the British Grand Prix, was cancelled by Mosley because of statements made by David Coulthard. Mosley claimed Coulthard's statements to the media were a "distortion" of the purpose of the meeting and accused him of stirring up dissent. In retaliation the GPDA released a letter that had been sent to Mosley accusing him of jeopardising the GPDA's drive for improved safety:
“We were also concerned to learn that during the course of [a telephone conversation with Coulthard], you suggested the FIA might withdraw support for the ongoing safety initiatives of the GPDA... The GPDA believes that safety issues are of the highest importance and are disappointed not to receive the full support of the FIA president in this matter".[25]
In 2010, upon his return to the sport as a competitor, Michael Schumacher announced that he did not intend to join the GPDA. He subsequently became a "silent member" following discussions with GPDA directors (chiefly, Felipe Massa).[26]
Notable activities
Thanks to the activism of the GPDA, the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps was boycotted in 1969 and the Nürburgring in 1970 and after 1976, over safety concerns.
In 2013, following a series of tyre blowouts at the British Grand Prix, tyre safety became a major issue, with the GPDA announcing through a statement that its member drivers would withdraw from the subsequent German Grand Prix unless remedial action was taken.[27]
In May 2015, the GPDA and Motorsport.com joined forces to allow followers of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship to voice and share their opinions about the sport through an extensive worldwide survey for fans.[28] More than 200,000 respondents participated in the survey.[29]
In July 2015, following the death of Jules Bianchi at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, the GPDA announced that it felt a responsibility "to never relent in improving safety."[30]
In March 2016, following changes to the qualifying system, the GPDA released an open letter written by Jenson Button, Sebastian Vettel and Alexander Wurz on behalf of all drivers saying that the sport's leadership was broken, calling the decision making within Formula One "obsolete" and "Ill-structured".
The GPDA believed that the decision making could "jeopardise F1's future success."[31]
After the second free practice session of the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the GPDA held a four-hour meeting after multiple instances of missile attacks, some as close as 10km from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Pierre Gasly spoke to media later, saying, "Everyone was able to give their opinion. We were aligned with our intentions." A later statement from the FIA and Formula 1 assured that racing would go ahead and that the track was safe. GPDA chairman Alexander Wurz also issued a statement.[32]
In November 2024, the GPDA released a public statement outlining several grievances against the FIA including the issue of drivers swearing during races, the tone and language of the FIA President (Mohammed Ben Sulayem) in public statements, and the policy surrounding driver fines.[33][34][35]
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