The FIA has made several controversial decisions in recent times, and the fans expressed their displeasure in numbers during the F1 75 event. The thousands who gathered at The O2 in London booed the motorsports governing body whenever its name was announced.
With FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem making most of the decisions, he receives the most criticism from fans and drivers alike. In fact, not just fans and drivers, but even paddock insiders have openly criticized him for his rule changes and the way he imposes his decisions.
Former Red Bull social media manager and founder of WTF1, Tom Bellingham, is the latest to call Ben Sulayem out. He was commenting on the FIA’s clampdown on swearing by drivers.
The latest guidelines for stewarding will see drivers across all categories of FIA-sanctioned motorsport face heavy fines for swearing or criticizing the FIA or its officials. Repeated offenses will lead to suspensions and potential deduction of championship points. While criticizing this, Bellingham termed the FIA president’s management style as dictatorial.
“The fact that they [the FIA] are trying to dictate and control things is absolutely crazy to me. Particularly, you know, the clamp down on swearing when Drive to Survive has got massive and that’s almost like its whole niche,” said Bellingham on the BackSeat Drivers podcast.
gordon ramsey on the fia swearing ban:
“it’s industry language. let them be real.”
— may ¹⁶⁵⁵ | mourning c² (@maymooius) February 18, 2025
Bellingham’s views on the swearing ban have resonated with the entire F1 community. Last year, Max Verstappen was the first driver to be punished for swearing after he used expletive language during a press conference at the 2024 Singapore GP. He was handed a hefty fine and community service as punishment.
This saw other drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris rally behind the Dutchman. The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) even issued an open letter to Ben Sulayem, urging him to treat the drivers with respect and as adults.
FIA continues strict stance on swearing despite pushback
The furor caused by Verstappen’s sanctions should have made the FIA tone down its policing of driver behavior.
However, the governing body has instead doubled down on that mandate by introducing stricter fines and sanctions. With the F1 season yet to start, only time will tell how this will go down with the GPDA.
Last month, WRC driver Adrien Fourmaux became the first victim of this new rule after being slapped with a 10,000 Euro ($10,300) fine for using the ‘f-word’ in a TV interview during Rally Sweden.
