Yuki Tsunoda has found himself in hot waters with the FIA for a radio outburst that was caught on the airwaves during the qualifying session for the 2024 Austrian GP. The FIA has formally stepped in now to investigate an “ableist slur” used by the young Japanese driver while communicating with his team during the session.
Tsunoda has been known to lose his temper from time to time. This particular incident occurred after the completion of Q1 and was subsequently spotted by the fans online as per Autosport. Now, the FIA has referred the matter to the stewards who are yet to take a call on the incident.
Tsunoda was overtaken by Sauber’s Zhou Guanyu in the pit lane. This angered the #22 driver. He then promptly jumped onto the team radio and said, “These guys are f***ing r*tarded.” His choice of words have been tagged as being potentially an ableist slur.
The FIA is assessing whether RB driver Yuki Tsunoda has breached #F1’s rules when he appeared to make an ableist slur during #AustrianGP qualifying, Autosport understands.
Full story⬇️https://t.co/zpY73xz3TY
— Autosport (@autosport) June 29, 2024
Tsunoda’s actions have been perceived to be in violation of Article 12.2.1.f of the FIA’s International Sporting Code which prohibits a competitor from using “any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motorsport and on the values defended by the FIA.”
In the past, the FIA has had to give out penalties and fines for instances where drivers have broken the laws. So, if the Japanese driver is indeed found guilty, what could be the consequences of his actions?
How can the FIA penalize Yuki Tsunoda for an ableist radio outburst?
In the past, two similar incidents to Tsunoda’s radio outburst case have taken place. Towards the end of the 2023 season, Toto Wolff and Frederic Vasseur were given formal warnings by the FIA for swearing during the FIA-governed press conferences.
Max Verstappen also found himself in trouble with the governing body of the sport because of his comments about Lance Stroll during the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix weekend. However, neither the Dutchman nor Red Bull were sanctioned.
Mongolian politician criticizes Verstappen – https://t.co/BSzzlsLLLY
(GMM) Red Bull has told Max Verstappen to be more careful with his insults against rivals in the future.
The Dutch driver’s radio cries of “retard” and “mongol” after a clash with Lance Stroll in Portimao is… pic.twitter.com/w2ECPc9LT8— AutoRacing1.com (@AutoRacing1) October 27, 2020
This may mean that Tsunoda also can be let off with a formal warning. However, given how the drivers are considered role models within the F1 fanbase, the FIA might choose to penalize the Visa Cash App RB (VCARB) driver.
