Fury as Formula One bans Daily Mail’s award-winning Motor Racing Correspondent over column calling Ferrari driver a ‘sneaky little b*****d’

The FIA has revoked Daily Mail correspondent Jonathan McEvoy’s media accreditation for the rest of the 2026 Formula One season, citing a column about Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc that it said fell short of expected professional standards. The decision followed McEvoy’s description of Leclerc as a “sneaky little b*****d” after a clash with team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the Mexico Grand Prix, raising a dispute over the boundaries of accredited sports journalism.

The FIA said it was acting under its 2026 accreditation guidelines and withdrew McEvoy’s access with immediate effect. The Daily Mail’s head of sport called the move an attack on press freedom and urged the FIA to reinstate him; former F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone also criticised the decision. McEvoy has covered almost 400 grands prix over 21 years, according to the article.