Motorsport Australia Bans Joey Mawson for Three Years

Motorsport Australia has issued double Gold Star champion Joey Mawson with a three-year ban following a substance test undertaken at Phillip Island during the May 2023 event.

The Sydney driver had taken a supplement, readily available online, as part of a general fitness regime.

The case has taken 15 months to be resolved, with Sporting Integrity Australia confirming the situation this morning, with a statement reading, in part:

“Sport Integrity Australia acknowledges the decision of Motorsport Australia to impose a three-year period of Ineligibility on athlete Joseph (Joey) Mawson for the Presence of a Prohibited Substance, Use of a Prohibited Substance and Possession of a Prohibited Substance.

Joey Mawson won his last S5000 round at Winton in 2023.
Image: Daniel Kalisz Photographer

“Mr Mawson, a driver contracted to 88 Racing in the S5000 Series at the time, returned an Adverse Analytical Finding (AAF) from an In-Competition doping control test on 13 May 2023.

“Mr Mawson’s sample was analysed at the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory, part of the National Measurement Institute, and the presence of Meldonium was detected.

“Motorsport Australia imposed a three-year period of Ineligibility on Mr Mawson commencing on 13 May 2023.

“Mr Mawson’s period of Ineligibility was reduced by 12 months following a full admission of the anti-doping rule violations.

“Mr Mawson is ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policy until 13 May 2026.

“He is also not permitted to compete in a non-Signatory professional league or Event organised by a non-Signatory International Event organisation or a non-Signatory national-level event organisation.”

For his part, Joey issued his own statement, via Facebook:

Joey Mawson won the 2021 and 2022 S5000 crowns.

Hi Everyone,

To those who may have been aware, on June 27th 2023 I received the heart breaking news from Sporting Integrity that i had been immediately suspending from motorsport for returning an adverse analytical finding from an in-competition doping control test at the Philip Island race weekend on May 13th 2023.

Following the conclusion of Sporting investigation & decision I feel now is the appropriate time to announce the news and acknowledge my outcome.

Sporting Integrity have imposed a three-year period of ineligibility commencing on 13 May 2023.

I will be ineligible to participate in any sports that have adopted a World Anti-Doping Code compliant anti-doping policy until 13 May 2026. I will also not be permitted to compete in a non-Signatory professional league or Event organised by a non-Signatory International Event organisation or a non-Signatory national-level event organisation.

This has been a very difficult time for me,

for my family who have sacrificed so much and worked so hard to gift me the opportunity and dream that i was living. Without a doubt since the news broke out on June 27th i experienced the darkest hours, days & months of my life.

A living nightmare i couldn’t wake up from for months on end. The hardest part was knowing i had let down my parents, my team, my sponsors, my management, and all my surrounding people involved down with my mistake.

It really crushed me and put my mind state in a damaged and destroyed place for a long time. I want to sincerely apologise to all the people who i have let down including fans.

I want to bring forward as well the truth of how this whole situation has come about. The girl I had been dating at the time had been taking the supplement for her own training to benefit her cardio fitness.

She had been someone who i trusted and thought to have my best interest at heart so when she brought forward the recommendation to take it following her own experience with it, i had decided i would try it too myself too, to support my training for running.

She had sent me the link on Amazon to order the supplement. When I had ordered it on the Amazon link there had been no warning that it was banned by WADA or any wording that it is not approved for athletes.

The supplement I had ordered was named Mildronate. On March 14th I began taking the supplement. My intention was always to take it for my running training and my biggest mistake (which negligence is not as excuse as an athlete but it is my truth) is that I didn’t check that the supplement was approved for competition and not on the banned list.

I never intended to take the supplement to enhance my racing. The risk and consequences for a driver to take this to have minimal benefit to the overall performance makes absolutely no sense.

It was an honest mistake and now I will have to pay the consequences of that mistake, losing 3 years of my career along with the damage to my reputation.

Again I must apologise to my Mum and Dad, Team 88 Racing, Team BRM, ACM Finance, The Sponsorship. Co, Chapel Boxing Fitness and to all my fans and supporters and the motorsport community.

I wish to return to racing again after May 13th 2026. I love racing, my passion won’t go away. I miss it every day so I do hope I can be back in the seat some day.

Regards, Joey

Image: Jack Martin Photography

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