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The Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) is the
trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
of
Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...
drivers. Founded in 1961 and refounded in 1994, it has organised several drivers' strikes and boycotts over the years, primarily in response to unsafe circuits on the F1 calendar and other driver safety issues.


Background


First GPDA

The GPDA was founded in May 1961 and, following an election by members, its inaugural Chairman was
Stirling Moss Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss (17 September 1929 – 12 April 2020) was a British racing driver and sports broadcasting, broadcaster, who competed in Formula One from to . Widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers to never win the Formula On ...
. After Moss retired from the sport in 1963, Jo Bonnier succeeded him. The organisation's initial aim was to obtain representation on the ''Commission Sportive Internationale'' (CSI) of the
Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; ) is an international organisation with two primary functions surrounding use of the automobile. Its mobility division advocacy, advocates the interests of motoring organisations, the automot ...
(FIA) to advocate for improved safety standards and provisions for both drivers and spectators. The GPDA organised driver boycotts of the
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), informally referred to as Spa, is a Race track, motor-racing circuit located in Francorchamps, Stavelot, Wallonia, Belgium, about southeast of Spa, Belgium, Spa. It is the current venue of the Formula One ...
(1969) and the
Nürburgring The () is a 150,000-person capacity motorsports complex located in the town of Nürburg, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It features a Grand Prix motor racing, Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a long configuration, built in the 1920s ...
(1970, post-1976). The organisation fractured during the
FISA–FOCA war The FISA–FOCA war was a political battle contested throughout the early 1980s by two now-defunct representative organizations in Formula One motor racing, the Fédération Internationale du Sport Automobile (FISA) and the Formula One Construct ...
, during which drivers in teams aligned with
FISA The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA, , ) is a United States federal law that establishes procedures for the surveillance and collection of foreign intelligence on domestic soil.
(mostly auto manufacturer teams like Ferrari) clashed with drivers in FOCA teams (mostly private racing teams like Lotus,
McLaren McLaren Racing Limited ( ) is a British auto racing, motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known a ...
, or Williams). GPDA chairman
Jody Scheckter Jody David Scheckter (; born 29 January 1950) is a South African former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to . Scheckter won the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in with Ferrari, and remains the only Afric ...
, a Ferrari driver, used his GPDA role to take FISA's side in the conflict, arguing that ground effect cars (pioneered by the FOCA teams) were unsafe for drivers. In response, several drivers for FOCA teams, including Williams' Alan Jones and
Brabham Motor Racing Developments Ltd., commonly known as Brabham ( ), was a British race car, racing car manufacturer and Formula One racing team. It was founded in 1960 by the Australian driver Jack Brabham and the British-Australian designer Ron Ta ...
's
Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Souto Maior (, born 17 August 1952) is a Brazilian former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to . Piquet won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in , , and , and won 23 ...
, resigned from the GPDA, and Lotus'
Mario Andretti Mario Gabriele Andretti (born February 28, 1940) is an American former racing driver and businessman, who competed in Formula One from to , and American open-wheel racing, IndyCar from 1964 USAC Championship Car season, 1964 to 1994 IndyCar se ...
publicly suggested that FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre was no longer fit for the job. In addition, the GPDA organised a successful drivers' strike at the 1982 South African Grand Prix after FISA proposed new regulations that gave them wider grounds to strip drivers of their FIA Super Licenses, although in that case, FOCA agreed with FISA's position. The drivers defeated the regulations but were fined and sanctioned by the FIA. Following the strike, a number of drivers met to disband the GPDA and replace it with the Professional Racing Drivers Association (PRDA), which theoretically extended to all professional drivers. The PRDA never matched the prominence or effectiveness of the original GPDA, and was said to have "faded away."


Second GPDA

Ahead of the 1994 season, the FIA banned electronic driver aids such as
active suspension An active suspension is a type of Suspension (vehicle), automotive suspension that uses an onboard control system to control the vertical movement of the vehicle's wheels and axles relative to the chassis or vehicle frame, rather than the conventi ...
and traction control. 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) was criticised by several drivers, who believed that it would lead to unsafe design flaws in the 1994 cars. Williams'
Ayrton Senna Ayrton Senna da Silva (; 21 March 1960 – 1 May 1994) was a Brazilian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Senna won three Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles with McLaren, and—at the time of his death—held ...
publicly complained that the 1994 cars were less safe and predicted "lots of accidents," and
McLaren McLaren Racing Limited ( ) is a British auto racing, motor racing team based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, Surrey, England. The team is a subsidiary of the McLaren Group, which owns a majority of the team. McLaren is best known a ...
's
Martin Brundle Martin John Brundle (born 1 June 1959) is a British former racing driver and sports broadcasting, broadcaster who competed in Formula One from to . In endurance racing (motorsport), endurance racing, Brundle won the World Sportscar Champions ...
claimed that because of the rushed nature of the changes, the drivers had "less control of the car" than in years past. Ahead of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Senna proposed re-forming the GPDA to give the drivers a unified voice in support of safety reforms. However, Senna and Roland Ratzenberger were both killed by on-track accidents during that race weekend. Before the following race, the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix,
Niki Lauda Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda (22 February 1949 – 20 May 2019) was an Austrian racing driver, motorsport executive and aviation entrepreneur, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Lauda won three Formula One World Drivers' Champ ...
,
Christian Fittipaldi Christian Fittipaldi (born 18 January 1971) is a Brazilian former racing driver who has competed in various forms of motorsport including Formula One, Champ Car, and NASCAR. He was a highly rated young racing driver in the early 1990s, and parti ...
,
Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher (; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in ...
, and Gerhard Berger re-established the GPDA, with assistance from Martin Brundle. In its early days, the GPDA was opposed by FIA president
Max Mosley Max Rufus Mosley (13 April 1940 – 23 May 2021) was a British businessman, lawyer and racing driver. He served as president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the Sport governing body, governing body for Formula One. A ...
, who claimed that non-drivers were interfering with the organisation. In 1996, the GPDA was incorporated as a UK
company limited by guarantee A company limited by guarantee (CLG) is a type of company where the liability of members in the event the company is wound up is limited to a (typically very small) amount listed in the company's articles or constitution. Most have no share ca ...
("Grand Prix Drivers Association Ltd"). For the first time, the association had a formal corporate constitution and permanent offices in Monaco. The first directors of the incorporated GPDA were Brundle, Schumacher, and Berger.


Driver safety initiatives

Since 1994, the GPDA's primary mission has been to improve safety on track. The GPDA threatened to boycott the 2013 German Grand Prix after a series of dangerous tyre blowouts at the
British Grand Prix The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor racing event organised in the United Kingdom by Motorsport UK. First held by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) in 1926 British Grand Prix, 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 ...
. The GPDA also pushed for stricter safety regulations at private team testing sessions, an area that the FIA traditionally did not regulate. In 2006, Williams' Alexander Wurz, a future GPDA chairman, said that the GPDA's safety push had helped cut the drivers' casualty insurance premiums by nearly half.


Aftermath of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix

Following Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger's deaths at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, the reformed GPDA asked the FIA to limit speeds in dangerous areas and improve safety technology. For example, during the 1994 season, temporary chicanes were installed at the
Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya () is a motorsport race track in Montmeló, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. With long straights and a variety of corners, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya is seen as an all-rounder circuit. The track has stands ...
's Nissan corner and the
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), informally referred to as Spa, is a Race track, motor-racing circuit located in Francorchamps, Stavelot, Wallonia, Belgium, about southeast of Spa, Belgium, Spa. It is the current venue of the Formula One ...
' Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex. In addition, a pit lane speed limit was introduced, and tracks were revised to provide larger run-off areas at the most dangerous corners.


2005 tyre war controversy

In 2005,
Michelin Michelin ( , ), in full ("General Company of the Michelin Enterprises P.L.S."), is a French multinational tyre manufacturing company based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes '' région'' of France. It is the second largest t ...
belatedly realised that its tyres could not handle the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is a motor racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400, and and formerly the home of the U ...
's steeply banked Turn 13, prompting the teams with Michelin tyre contracts to drop out of the . Ferrari, which had a
Bridgestone is a Japanese multinational manufacturing company founded in 1931 by Shojiro Ishibashi (18891976) in the city of Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Fukuoka, Japan. The name Bridgestone comes from a calque translation and transposition of (), meaning ...
tyre contract, participated and won the race. Following the race, the FIA sought to punish the Michelin teams for dropping out. In response, the drivers for the Michelin-supplied teams issued a statement arguing that their teams acted appropriately to protect their drivers' safety. However, the GPDA chairman, Ferrari's
Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher (; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in ...
(who won the race), publicly opposed the statement and denied that the GPDA was involved in the statement. Complicating matters,
Jarno Trulli Jarno Trulli (; born 13 July 1974) is an Italian former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from to . Trulli won the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix with Renault in Formula One, Renault. He regularly competed in Formula ...
(the polesitter, who was forced to drop out) contradicted Schumacher and characterised the statement as a GPDA statement. Later that year, FIA president
Max Mosley Max Rufus Mosley (13 April 1940 – 23 May 2021) was a British businessman, lawyer and racing driver. He served as president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the Sport governing body, governing body for Formula One. A ...
cancelled a meeting with the GPDA, purportedly in retaliation for statements made by the GPDA's
David Coulthard David Marshall Coulthard (born 27 March 1971) is a British former racing driver and sports broadcasting, broadcaster from Scotland who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "DC", Coulthard was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' ...
. The meeting was reportedly calendared to discuss the Michelin tyre dispute and proposed safety measures at F1 teams' private test sessions. 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 response, the GPDA stated that Mosley had threatened to withdraw his support for the GPDA's safety initiatives."GPDA Statement "


Aftermath of the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix

Jules Bianchi Jules Lucien André Bianchi (; 3 August 1989 – 17 July 2015) was a French racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Born and raised in Nice, Bianchi was the grandson of endurance racing driver Mauro Bianchi and the great-nephew ...
was fatally injured at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix and died after several months in a coma. Following his death, the GPDA issued a statement saying that it felt a responsibility "to never relent in improving safety." The GPDA participated in the FIA's official review of the events of the Japanese GP. It also encouraged new safety reforms, including the "halo" cockpit protection device, which Formula One (and some drivers) initially resisted.


2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

During the weekend of the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the GPDA held a four-hour meeting to discuss multiple missile attacks in the Jeddah region, some as close as 10km from the
Jeddah Corniche Circuit The Jeddah Corniche Circuit () is a motor racing street circuit built in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia. The circuit staged the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on 5 December 2021 as the penultimate race on the Formula One ...
. After discussing the issue with Saudi government officials and FIA regulators, it eventually issued a statement confirming that the drivers would participate, despite their "natural concerns" about driver and team safety.


Other activities

Under the leadership of Alexander Wurz (who became the GPDA chairman in 2014), the organisation grew "increasingly proactive in looking beyond olely driver safetyto a more holistic bigger picture" about the structure and governance of the sport. In 2023, director George Russell explained that the GPDA was broadly concerned with three main topics: driver safety, "on-track entertainment," and "how it feels to drive the cars", although he subsequently noted that the role had grown unexpectedly political.


Racing regulations

In 2017, following
Liberty Media Liberty Media Corporation (commonly referred to as Liberty Media or just Liberty) is an American mass media company founded by John C. Malone in 1991. The company has three divisions, reflecting its ownership stakes in the Formula One Group, S ...
's purchase of the
Formula One Group The Formula One Group is a group of companies responsible for the Promotion (marketing), promotion of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA Formula One World Championship, and the exercising of the sport's commercial rights. The ...
, the GPDA sent Liberty a letter encouraging it to revise F1's sporting regulations to encourage closer racing. Wurz explained that "we all love one great natural overtaking much more than ten or more DRS overtakes." However, he also credited Ross Brawn and Pat Symonds with helping push for new regulations, which debuted in 2022. ''
Motor Sport Motorsport or motor sport are sporting events, competitions and related activities that primarily involve the use of automobiles, motorcycles, motorboats and powered aircraft. For each of these vehicle types, the more specific terms ''automobile ...
'' had previously noted that the drivers almost unanimously criticised regulation changes rolled out before the 2017 season, which they felt "will make overtaking even more difficult than it actually is."


Sporting governance

The GPDA became increasingly critical of
Bernie Ecclestone Bernard Charles Ecclestone (born 28 October 1930) is a British business magnate, motorsport executive and former racing driver. Widely known in journalism as the "F1 Supremo", Ecclestone founded the Formula One Group in 1987, controlling the c ...
's leadership during his final years in charge of Formula One. In 2015, the GPDA and Motorsport.com jointly organised a fan survey, which Wurz interpreted as saying that the fans (like him) "do not want ormula Oneto become an artificial show with gimmicks introduced to simply make it more entertaining". He added that "F1's business has become too important, jeopardising our sport." In 2016, following changes to the qualifying system, the GPDA released a statement calling F1's decision making "obsolete" and "ill-structured". The GPDA believed that the decision making could "jeopardise F1's future success." Ecclestone angrily dismissed the GPDA's statement, saying that the drivers were "only saying what their teams have told them to say" and that they had no right to a say in F1 decisions because they had never invested money into the sport. 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. In addition, that year, GPDA director George Russell requested more transparency from the FIA after a series of personnel changes.


Super License fees

The GPDA occasionally protests when the FIA raises the price of the
FIA Super License The FIA Super Licence is a driver's qualification allowing the holder to compete in the Formula One, Formula One World Championship. It is issued and managed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Requirements Super Licence To ...
, which all drivers must receive in order to compete in F1. In 2009, the GPDA explained that while it would not oppose reasonable price increases, "Super Licence fees should not be a revenue stream for the FIA" and "as a principle, the drivers should not be taxed to fund the costs of others fulfilling their legal duty to the drivers." The FIA eventually agreed to cut Super License fees ahead of the 2010 season.


Membership and leadership

Membership of GPDA is not compulsory. During the 2017 season, nine drivers and two free practice drivers declined to join. However, by the end of the year, every F1 driver agreed to join the organisation for possibly the first time in association history. Over the years, drivers have declined to join the organisation for a variety of reasons, such as
Lewis Hamilton Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born 7 January 1985) is a British racing driver who competes in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Hamilton has won a joint-record seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles—tied with M ...
(lack of time and excessive entry fees),
Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher (; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in ...
(personal distaste for the GPDA chairman), Kimi Räikkönen (lack of interest), and
Max Verstappen Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he w ...
(felt attacked by several drivers who were GPDA members and doubtful of the organisation's effectiveness), although Hamilton, Schumacher, Räikkönen, and Verstappen all eventually reconsidered. GPDA members elect their representatives. As of 2025, there are four directors: active Formula One drivers George Russell and Carlos Sainz Jr., 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.


List of chairmen


List of directors

''Note: from 1996''


See also

*
Jackie Stewart Sir John Young "Jackie" Stewart (born 11 June 1939) is a British former racing driver, sports broadcasting, broadcaster and motorsport executive from Scotland, who competed in Formula One from to . Nicknamed "the Flying Scottish people, Scot" ...
* Sid Watkins *
Road safety Road traffic safety refers to the methods and measures, such as traffic calming, to prevent road users from being killed or seriously injured. Typical road users include pedestrians, cyclists, Driving, motorists, passengers of vehicles, and p ...
* World Rally Drivers Alliance – Similar organisation founded by
World Rally Championship The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is an international rallying series owned and governed by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA. Inaugurated in 1973, it is the oldest FIA world championship after Formula One. E ...
drivers


References


External links


Hamilton stance on union 'wrong'
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
18 March 2008 {{Authority control Formula One 1961 establishments in Europe 1982 disestablishments in Europe 1994 establishments in Europe Trade unions established in 1961 Trade unions disestablished in 1982 Trade unions established in 1994 Re-established companies