Photo courtesy of FIA
Wehrlein first Formula E driver to receive FIA President's Medal
With his win in the Miami E-Prix, Pascal Wehrlein became the first Formula E driver to be presented with an FIA President's Medal.
The medals, awarded to race winners, have already been handed out in Formula 1 since the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, but have now been expanded beyond to Formula E, the World Endurance Championship, the World Rally Championship and the FIA Karting World Championship. The idea of the medals is that, while teams often keep trophies awarded to drivers, the medals remain with the drivers as a guaranteed memento of their success.
“When racing, our drivers give everything they have to secure a spot at the top of the podium, and as the governing body for motorsport, we have a responsibility to recognize and celebrate these champions,” said FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem. “I wanted to create an emblem that reflects their commitment and skill – a tangible reminder of their victory.”
The medal also highlights the FIA's sustainability push, being produced via a fully recyclable process that transforms waste materials into the high-quality medals.
“Crucially, this medal needs to represent the innovation and progress being made across our championships,” said Ben Sulayem. “By celebrating these victories with a sustainably crafted medal, we not only recognize our race winners and their achievement but also highlight the ongoing efforts within our sport to protect and preserve it for future generations.”
The medals are produced in conjunction with sustainable manufacturer Libe Incisioni, with the company's owner, Lorenzo Invernizzi, explaining, “During our creative discussions with the FIA, President Ben Sulayem was clear in his wish to ensure a sustainable manufacturing process that not only creates minimal environmental impact but also delivers a product that is fitting for such a special moment, something that recognizes the commitment and success of the recipients.
“Seeing this vision on more podiums is a testament to the FIA’s unwavering commitment to sustainability and the celebration of achievement.”
Dominik Wilde
Dominik often jokes that he was born in the wrong country – a lover of NASCAR and IndyCar, he covered both in a past life as a junior at Autosport in the UK, but he’s spent most of his career to date covering the sliding and flying antics of the U.S.’ interpretation of rallycross. Rather fitting for a man that says he likes “seeing cars do what they’re not supposed to do”, previously worked for a car stunt show, and once even rolled a rally car with Travis Pastrana. He was also comprehensively beaten in a kart race by Sebastien Loeb once, but who hasn’t been?
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