| Formation | formed: 11 May 1961 disbanded: (February) 1982 reformed: (13) May 1994 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters |  Monaco |
Chairman |  Alexander Wurz |
Directors |
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TheGrand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) is atrade union forFormula Onedrivers. 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 driversafety issues. It represents the international cast of F1 drivers but is based inMonaco. Its current chairman is former driverAlexander Wurz.
The GPDA was founded in May 1961 and, following an election by members, its inaugural Chairman wasStirling Moss. After Moss retired from the sport in 1963,Jo Bonnier succeeded him.[1]
The organisation's initial aim was to obtain representation on theCommission Sportive Internationale (CSI) of theFédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to advocate for improvedsafety standards and provisions for both drivers and spectators.[1] The GPDA organised driver boycotts of theCircuit de Spa-Francorchamps (1969)[2] and theNürburgring (1970, post-1976).[3][4]
The organisation fractured during theFISA–FOCA war, during which drivers in teams aligned withFISA (mostly auto manufacturer teams like Ferrari) clashed with drivers inFOCA teams (mostly private racing teams likeLotus,McLaren, orWilliams).[5] GPDA chairmanJody Scheckter, a Ferrari driver, used his GPDA role to take FISA's side in the conflict, arguing thatground effect cars (pioneered by the FOCA teams) were unsafe for drivers.[6][7] In response, several drivers for FOCA teams, including Williams'Alan Jones andBrabham'sNelson Piquet, resigned from the GPDA,[8] and Lotus'Mario Andretti publicly suggested that FISA presidentJean-Marie Balestre was no longer fit for the job.[9]
In addition, the GPDA organised a successful drivers' strike at the1982 South African Grand Prix after FISA proposed new regulations that gave them wider grounds to strip drivers of their FIA Super Licenses,[5] although in that case, FOCA agreed with FISA's position.[10] 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.[11] The PRDA never matched the prominence or effectiveness of the original GPDA, and was said to have "faded away."[4]
Ahead of the1994 season, the FIA banned electronic driver aids such asactive suspension andtraction control.[12][13] 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[13]) 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," andMcLaren'sMartin Brundle claimed that because of the rushed nature of the changes, the drivers had "less control of the car" than in years past.[14]
Ahead of the1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Senna proposed reorganising the GPDA to give the drivers a unified voice in support of safety reforms. However, Senna andRoland Ratzenberger were bothkilled by on-track accidents during that race weekend.[15][16]
Before the following race, the1994 Monaco Grand Prix,Niki Lauda,Christian Fittipaldi,Michael Schumacher, andGerhard Berger re-established the GPDA, with assistance from Martin Brundle.[17] In its early days, the GPDA was opposed by FIA presidentMax Mosley, who claimed that non-drivers were interfering with the organisation.[18]
In 1996, the GPDA was incorporated as a UKcompany limited by guarantee ("Grand Prix Drivers Association Ltd").[19] For the first time, the association had a formal corporate constitution and permanent offices in Monaco.[18] The first directors of the incorporated GPDA were Brundle, Schumacher, and Berger.[20]
Since 1994, the GPDA's primary mission has been to improvesafety on track. The GPDA threatened to boycott the2013 German Grand Prix after a series of dangerous tyre blowouts at theBritish Grand Prix.[21][22] The GPDA also pushed for stricter safety regulations at private team testing sessions, an area that the FIA traditionally did not regulate.[23][24] 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.[23]
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.[25] For example, during the 1994 season, temporary chicanes were installed at theCircuit de Barcelona-Catalunya's Nissan corner[26] and theCircuit de Spa-Francorchamps' Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex.[27] In addition, a pit lane speed limit was introduced, and tracks were revised to provide larger run-off areas at the most dangerous corners.[28]
In 2005,Michelin belatedly realised that its tyres could not handle theIndianapolis Motor Speedway's steeply banked Turn 13, prompting the teams with Michelin tyre contracts to drop out of theUnited States Grand Prix. Ferrari, which had aBridgestone tyre contract, participated and won the race.[29] 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'sMichael Schumacher (who won the race), publicly opposed the statement and denied that the GPDA was involved in the statement. Complicating matters,Jarno Trulli (the polesitter, who was forced to drop out) contradicted Schumacher and characterised the statement as a GPDA statement.[30]
Later that year,FIA presidentMax Mosley cancelled a meeting with the GPDA, purportedly in retaliation for statements made by the GPDA'sDavid Coulthard. 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.[31]
Jules Bianchi was fatally injured at the2014 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."[32] The GPDA participated in the FIA's official review of the events of the Japanese GP.[33] It also encouraged new safety reforms, including the"halo" cockpit protection device,[34] which Formula One (and some drivers) initially resisted.[34][35]
During the weekend of the2022 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 theJeddah Corniche Circuit. 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.[36]
Under the leadership ofAlexander Wurz (who became the GPDA chairman in 2014), the organisation grew "increasingly proactive in looking beyond [solely driver safety] to a more holistic bigger picture" about the structure and governance of the sport.[37] In 2023, directorGeorge 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",[38] although he subsequently noted that the role had grown unexpectedly political.[39]
In 2017, followingLiberty Media's purchase of theFormula One Group, 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 moreDRS overtakes." However, he also creditedRoss Brawn andPat Symonds with helping push for new regulations, which debuted in 2022.[40]Motor Sport 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."[37]
The GPDA became increasingly critical ofBernie Ecclestone's leadership during his final years in charge of Formula One. In 2015, the GPDA andMotorsport.com jointly organised a fan survey,[41][42] which Wurz interpreted as saying that the fans (like him) "do not want [Formula One] to become an artificial show with gimmicks introduced to simply make it more entertaining".[43] He added that "F1's business has become too important, jeopardising our sport."[44] 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."[45] Ecclestone angrily dismissed the GPDA's statement, saying that the drivers were "only saying what their teams have told them to say"[46] and that they had no right to a say in F1 decisions because they had never invested money into the sport.[47]
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.[48][49][50] In addition, that year, GPDA directorGeorge Russell requested more transparency from the FIA after a series of personnel changes.[51] The FIA later publicised its penalty guidelines and driving standards' documents for the first time in June 2025, in response to the continued demands for transparency from the GPDA and fans.[52][53]
The GPDA occasionally protests when the FIA raises the price of theFIA Super License, 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."[54] The FIA eventually agreed to cut Super License fees ahead of the 2010 season.[55]
Membership of GPDA is not compulsory. During the2017 season, nine drivers and two free practice drivers declined to join.[56] However, by the end of the year, every F1 driver agreed to join the organisation for possibly the first time in association history.[57][58]
Over the years, drivers have declined to join the organisation for a variety of reasons, such asLewis Hamilton (lack of time and excessive entry fees),[59][60]Michael Schumacher (personal distaste for the GPDA chairman),[61]Kimi Räikkönen (lack of interest),[60] andMax Verstappen (felt attacked by several drivers who were GPDA members and doubtful of the organisation's effectiveness),[62] although Hamilton, Schumacher, Räikkönen, and Verstappen all eventually reconsidered.[63][61][58][64]
GPDA members elect their representatives. As of 2025, there are four directors: active Formula One driversGeorge Russell andCarlos Sainz Jr., legal adviser Anastasia Fowle (the first non-F1 driver past or present to be appointed a GPDA director) and former Formula One driverAlexander Wurz, who serves as chairman.[65][66]
| Chairman | Years of service |
|---|---|
 Stirling Moss | 1961–1963 |
 Jo Bonnier | 1963–1971 |
| Jackie Stewart | 1972–1978 |
 Jody Scheckter | 1979–1980 |
 Didier Pironi | 1980–1982 |
| GPDA disbanded | 1982–1994 |
 Michael Schumacher | 1994–2005 |
| David Coulthard | 2005–2006 |
| Ralf Schumacher | 2006–2008 |
 Pedro de la Rosa | 2008–2010, 2012–2014 |
| Nick Heidfeld | 2010 |
 Rubens Barrichello | 2010–2012 |
| Alexander Wurz | 2014–present |
Note: from 1996[67][68][69][70][71][66]
| Director | Years | As chairman |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Schumacher | 1996–2005 | 1996–2005 |
| Gerhard Berger | 1996 | |
| Martin Brundle | 1996 | |
| Damon Hill | 1996–1998 | |
| David Coulthard | 1996–2006 | 2005–2006 |
| Alexander Wurz | 1998–2001 2014–present | 2014–present |
 Jarno Trulli | 2001–2006 | |
 Mark Webber | 2003–2005 2006–2010 | |
| Ralf Schumacher | 2006–2007 | 2006–2008 |
| Fernando Alonso | 2006–2010 | |
| Pedro de la Rosa | 2008–2010 2012–2014 | 2008–2010 2012–2014 |
| Nick Heidfeld | 2010 | 2010 |
| Felipe Massa | 2010–2013 | |
| Sebastian Vettel | 2010–2024 | |
| Rubens Barrichello | 2010–2011 | 2010–2011 |
| Jenson Button | 2013–2017 | |
| Romain Grosjean | 2017–2020 | |
| George Russell | 2021–present | |
| Anastasia Fowle | 2021–present | |
| Carlos Sainz Jr. | 2025–present |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
