Max Verstappen’s use of swear words during the drivers’ press conference on Thursday ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix has resulted in a pushback from the FIA as the stewards have concluded that the language used by the Dutchman didn’t meet generally accepted standards for all audiences and broadcasts.
This situation comes after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem suggested limiting the amount of foul language used in broadcast in Formula 1 and hinted at taking strict action against those who do. However, what’s interesting to note is that during a recent conversation on the ‘F1:Chequered Flag’ podcast, Andrew Benson said that he believes Verstappen’s usage of swear words was intentional.
“I almost felt Max was doing it deliberately because of these comments because he swore two or three times in the press conference and he reacted quite aggressively against the idea. He said, ‘Don’t broadcast if you don’t want to’,” Benson noted.
Benson’s idea that the Dutchman deliberately used such words stems from the explanation given by the Red Bull driver himself. Verstappen said during the press conference that kids already tend to use swear words when they are out and about in the playground.
And Benson attested to this as a father of two. He too stated that kids do learn such words quite early on. Verstappen, however, didn’t get away with this as he was summoned by the stewards after the conclusion of the first Free Practice session.
Verstappen is no stranger to receiving a punishment from the FIA
Verstappen’s use of offensive language was deemed a breach of Article 12.2.1.k of the international sporting code, relating to “any misconduct“. The FIA’s stewards made this decision after reviewing the audio transcript and hearing from Verstappen and Red Bull team representatives.
As a result, Verstappen has been ordered to complete some work of public interest, as per Article 12.4.1.d of the International Sporting Code, in coordination with the Secretary-General for Sport of the FIA. However, this isn’t the first time the Dutchman has been given community service.
He was also given the same because of his behavior during the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix with a rival driver. After the race, a furious Verstappen confronted Esteban Ocon in the weigh-in area.
The Dutchman also physically pushed Ocon several times for colliding with him. Verstappen was furious as his collision with Ocon resulted in him registering a DNF despite leading the race.
ocon e verstappen brigando no GP do Brasil, e o bottas tá tipo ♂️ pic.twitter.com/aTzQuMyEr3
— dani.⁴⁴ jurídico Sam Winchester (@d_brave28) February 14, 2022
As a consequence of his behavior, Verstappen was handed two days of public service. The first day involved observing stewards at the Formula E race in Marrakesh.
The second day was completed at the FIA International Stewards Programme event, where Verstappen participated in interactive case study sessions with race officials, considering an incident, deliberating with stewards, and deciding an appropriate penalty. However, as of now, there is no official confirmation of what Verstappen will have to do this time around.
