The Daily Mail will boycott the final three races of the Formula One season after the FIA revoked veteran journalist Jonathan McEvoy’s media credentials over an opinion column criticizing Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. The British newspaper announced Friday that it would not report on races or news conferences for the remainder of 2026 in protest of the FIA’s decision to bar McEvoy from covering the Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi grands prix. McEvoy, who has covered F1 for more than two decades, learned Thursday that his accreditation had been withdrawn after a Nov. 4 opinion column in which he called Leclerc a “sneaky little bastard.”
The criticism stemmed from an opening-lap incident at the Mexico City Grand Prix involving Leclerc and Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton. Both drivers went off the track while battling for the lead at Turn 4, with Leclerc cutting across the grass to emerge ahead and Max Verstappen passing Hamilton for second. Leclerc subsequently received a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage off the track.
The FIA defended its decision, saying McEvoy’s column “fell short of the standards of professionalism expected” from accredited journalists. The governing body said its accreditation guidelines allow it to revoke credentials without notice and stressed that the decision did not prevent the Daily Mail from sending another reporter.
