National Court
Sitting on 24th May 2026 Mark Heywood( Chair), Richard Norbury, Peter Roberts
Case No. J2026 / 05 REFERRAL HEARING – GIUSEPPE( JOE) DEFAZIO
Present before the Court:
• Mr Nick Bamber appeared on behalf of Motorsport UK
• Mr Joe Defazio appeared via video link
1. 1. Mr Defazio came before this Disciplinary Panel on 21st May 2026 that the National Court might consider the circumstances in which Mr Defazio should be entitled to hold a PG Licence.
2. Mr Defazio had appeared before the National Court on 13th December 2023, in connection with breaches by him of the National Competition Rules and undertakings previously given by him in February 2023.( Case number J2023 / 33 refers). In February 2023, Mr Defazio had stated that he had no wish to hold a PG Licence and undertook not to apply for one for a period of 5 years( i. e., until 13th December 2028.)
3. In the circumstances, the Court directed“ in the event that any such application should be made by Mr Defazio within a period of five years commencing today, 13th December 2023, the matter should be referred back to this Court for its consideration before any such licence be issued.”
4. In January 2025, Mr Defazio contacted Motorsport UK, seeking approval for an application to again hold a PG Licence in order that his daughter could resume racing. In accordance with the Court’ s direction, that application was referred to the National Court and on 6th March 2025, the Court determined that Mr Defazio’ s PG Licence would be reinstated subject to the following conditions:
( a) That Mr Defazio should provide Motorsport UK with written details of suitable third-party entrant’ s representative to whom the licence may be delegated.
( b) Delegate the PG licence to such entrant’ s representative at each event in which his daughter competed.
( c) Provide written undertakings to Motorsport UK, confirming compliance, including that the licence may only be used in conjunction with the appointment of an approved entrant’ s representative and that he shall reimburse the necessary cost of DBS checks for any additional named representatives.
5. It was further ordered that, at the end of the calendar year, either party could apply to the Court for further consideration of whether the undertakings given on 2nd February 2023 and 13th December 2023 should be discharged.
6. On 5th May 2026, Mr Defazio applied to Motorsport UK, requesting that the matter be referred to the National Court for such consideration.
7. Before us, Motorsport UK confirmed that the undertakings had been abided by. They were content that those undertakings now be discharged but in order to maintain a degree of supervision requested that Mr Defazio’ s licence should be subject to an order of suspension, the operation of which would itself be suspended. Mr Defazio consented to such an order being made.
8. We agree that the proposed order is reasonable and proportionate. We order that Mr Defazio may be issued with a PG licence. That licence will be suspended, but the operation of that suspension will itself be suspended, i. e. will not come into force, for a period of 12 months from the date of issue. Any breach of the NCR by Mr Defazio in that 12-month period is to be referred to the National Court for further consideration.
9. In the circumstances, we make no order as to costs.
Mark Heywood KC, Chair 24th May 2026
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