With the FIA continuing their clampdown on swearing, drivers such as Yuki Tsunoda — who has often been called out for his lack of temperament — need to be more cautious moving forward. The Japanese driver is infamous for his colorful language and rants on the team radio.
However, it seems that Tsunoda need not worry too much as a reporter has advised him of some British slang that he can use alternatively to swearing that can help him avoid FIA’s expensive fine that can go as high as a whopping $125,000.
The RB driver appeared for an interview during the F1 75 launch event with a talkSPORT reporter, who advised him to use the word “fiddlesticks“. For those unaware, fiddlesticks is an informal word that people use to express their annoyance or disagreement.
However, Tsunoda — who was unaware of what the word meant — asked the reporter what is “fiddlesticks” an alternative to, just to ensure that he did not get into trouble for using this word.
The reporter, though, ensured Tsunoda that he had nothing to worry about, stating that it was not a bad word. The #22 driver, who was excited to learn a new word, attempted to use it in a sentence by saying, “That guy’s so fiddlesticks! Like that?”
Remember Max Verstappen’s swearing penalty saga?
Under new FIA stewarding guidelines, doing that in 2025 would net an #F1 driver *huge* fines… but also eventually a one-month ban and a points deduction.
Details ➡️ https://t.co/qqAHvkKtUZhttps://t.co/qqAHvkKtUZ
— The Race (@wearetherace) January 22, 2025
And even if Tsunoda is not able to use this slang as an alternative to swearing, he already seems to have other phrases he can use. The Japanese driver joked that during the FIA press conferences, he will use the phrase “fudge it” instead of the F-bomb that has previously got his fellow F1 driver Max Verstappen into trouble.
Verstappen and Oscar Piastri deliver their take on the F1 swearing ban
Verstappen became the first driver to feel the heat from the FIA last year for swearing during a press conference at the 2024 Singapore GP when he received a community service punishment. Naturally, when asked to give his views on the stringent new rules, the Dutchman was hesitant to make any comments.
But while speaking to the Dutch outlet Viaplay, the #1 driver finally broke his silence. “I think in general it’s a bit extreme. I don’t think it’s necessary,” he said.
McLaren driver Piastri also gave his opinions on the decision of the governing body to police how the drivers conduct themselves while on live television. The #81 driver, unlike most of his peers, lent support to the initiative taken by the FIA.
“I think we’re going to say what comes naturally. I think outside of the car, you know, it’s a fair expectation to be civil and use our words appropriately. But I mean, we’re athletes doing our thing with adrenaline running. So, there’s only so much you can do to stop that,” he told talkSPORT Driving.
