Swearing has become F1’s latest problem, with the FIA having to step in to lay down the law. With people now starting to swear more as a form of informal protest, some of the sport’s top entities have been doing damage control as best they could. While former world champion Damon Hill seemed one such person, he may be taking sarcastic takes of dissent against FIA’s swearing clampdown.
For Hill, it all started when Guenther Steiner laid into the FIA by claiming to “f**k the request by the FIA”. Per the former Haas team boss, swearing was a means of attaining stress relief for drivers. Thus, he did not find the latest instructions useful.
We apologise if any of you were offended by the strong language used in that last post. #f1 https://t.co/XC0ZsTealM
— Damon Hill (@HillF1) September 21, 2024
Taking to X in response, Hill apologized to anyone who was offended by Steiner’s stern words. The second instance happened on Friday in Singapore when Ted Kravitz fumbled during his pit report. Asking the cameraman for another take, he whispered, “F**king hell, can we do that again?”
However, he wasn’t quiet enough, and the mic captured his words. Hill once again issued an apology via another tweet, if the strong words offended anyone.
Lastly, Steiner called the FIA “hypocrites” for giving a “f**king penalty” to Max Verstappen for swearing during the drivers’ presser. The 1996 F1 champion had enough of the swearing and gave in to his intrusive thoughts. He once again took to X and joined the guilty party by saying, “I’m getting tired of having to apologize for these f**king people.”
I’m getting tired of having to apologise for these fucking people. #f1 https://t.co/WGFSLTsf3F
— Damon Hill (@HillF1) September 21, 2024
While it is unlikely that any action will be taken against Hill, the same wasn’t the case for Verstappen. The Dutchman has been mandated to do some work of public interest by the FIA. However, the governing body is facing a heavy lack of support in this quest.
The FIA stands alone in its fight to ban swearing on TV
With the FIA penalizing Verstappen for swearing, the governing body of F1 has invited more flak than praise. They wanted to create a more friendly environment on TV, but this move has backfired greatly.
Most people who spoke up on the matter have sided with Verstappen. They feel the latest ruling does not make sense as most of the swear words come out of one’s mouth in the heat of the moment. With so much going on around them, drivers cannot be expected to always keep a check on their words, especially if it is a tense situation.
Thus, there remains a major lack of support for the FIA for making F1 more PG-13. Many drivers stated that there are more important issues in the sport for the FIA to tackle.
