At the Singapore GP drivers’ press conference on Thursday, Max Verstappen used the F-word to describe the issues he experienced with the RB20 in Baku. However, it has apparently landed the Dutchman in trouble amid Mohammed Ben Sulayem and the FIA’s crackdown on drivers’ swearing during races and interviews.
The stewards have summoned Verstappen for his swearing during the presser. Sky Sports F1 reported after FP1 in Singapore, “Max Verstappen has been summoned by the stewards for an alleged breach of the International Sporting Code due to language he used in yesterday’s Drivers’ Press Conference.”
The decision is in: Verstappen must “accomplish some work of public interest” as his punishment for swearing in yesterday’s press conference.
The FIA called this a “greater penalty” than the usual fine because the topic is “well known” to drivers. https://t.co/tpZsC4GnOx
— The Race (@wearetherace) September 20, 2024
Per the latest update from The Race, the Dutchman has been asked to “accomplish some work of public interest“, as a punishment for his swearing during the Thursday presser. The FIA stewards deemed this as a “greater penalty”, as all drivers are aware of the recent discussions around the use of expletive language.
Verstappen was answering a question about what went downhill for Red Bull’s performance at the Azerbaijan GP. He explained that due to some setup changes before qualifying, he experienced changes in his handling of the car as soon as qualifying began.
The 26-year-old said, “The car was f*cked. I try to optimize the car all the time and it didn’t work”. On this, F1 host Tom Clarkson mentioned after Verstappen was done speaking, “Let’s watch our language going forward.”
Ben Sulayem’s remarks have also caught a lot of criticism, though. Even Verstappen criticized the FIA strongly as he believes their approach is preventing drivers from expressing themselves.
Verstappen’s take on Ben Sulayem’s swearing crackdown
The Dutchman feels they can simply restrict the broadcast of such radio calls. Verstappen explained that the FIA just needs to avoid broadcasting any radio messages that contain expletive language to ensure the kids watching F1 won’t be exposed to such language.
However, the 26-year-old also stated, “Even if a five-year-old or six-year-old is watching, they will eventually swear anyway. This is not changing anything.”
As for the FIA president’s controversial remarks to Autosport and Motorsport, he gave an analogy of rappers using the F-word a lot in their songs to F1 drivers swearing often. Per Ben Sulayem, “We have to differentiate between our sport – motorsport – and rap music.”
Lewis Hamilton was also very angry with Ben Sulayem’s choice of words. The seven-time world champion criticized the FIA president by pointing out the “stereotypical” nature of his comments, highlighting that “most rappers are black”. Hence, Hamilton felt that “there’s a racial element” in Ben Sulayem’s comments.
