Verstappen faces FIA penalty for his profane slip during a press conference, igniting controversy over language standards in F1.
Max Verstappen was summoned by the Singapore Grand Prix stewards for swearing during the FIA press conference yesterday.
Before the session, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem stated his desire to see a reduction in the broadcasting of profanities in F1.
However, during the official drivers’ press conference, Verstappen initially described his Red Bull as “fucked” during Azerbaijan qualifications after setup changes.
Host Tom Clarkson reminded him to watch his language before asking him a question about swearing, during which he said: “Excuse me for the language, but come on. What are we? Five-year-olds? Six-year-olds?”
As a result, Verstappen was summoned for violating article 12.2.1.k of the International Sporting Code—language used during the FIA press conference.
He appeared before the sporting stewards at 1 pm, French time.
At the 2023 Las Vegas Grand Prix, Mercedes and Ferrari bosses Toto Wolff and Fred Vasseur received formal warnings from the FIA after swearing at the team directors’ press conference.
The penalty was quickly disclosed: Verstappen will have to perform public service on behalf of the FIA.
“The FIA policy is to ensure that the language used in its public forums, such as press conferences, meets generally accepted standards for all audiences and broadcasts. This is particularly true for statements made by World Championship participants, who thus serve as role models both inside and outside the sport. This is clearly in the FIA regulations and has been reinforced by previous cases brought before the stewards in Formula 1, notably in Las Vegas in 2023.”
“The stewards reviewed the transcript of the FIA drivers’ press conference on Thursday in Singapore and found that Max Verstappen used language to describe his car during the event in Azerbaijan that is generally considered ‘crude, impolite’ or potentially ‘offensive’ and not suitable for broadcast. This constitutes ‘misconduct’ as defined in Article 20 of the International Sporting Code, and a violation of Article 12.2.1.k.”
“The stewards noted that the language was not directed at any person or group. When summoned before the stewards, the driver explained that the word used was commonplace in the language he had learned, as English is not his native language. While the stewards accept that this may be true, it is crucial for role models to learn to be mindful when speaking in public forums, especially when not under any particular pressure.”
“Verstappen apologized for his behavior.”
“The stewards observe that substantial fines have been imposed for language that is offensive or directed against specific groups. That is not the case here. However, as this issue has been previously addressed and is well-known to competitors, the stewards decided to impose a more significant penalty than before and required Verstappen to ‘perform public service’ (Art. 12.4.1.d of the International Sporting Code), in coordination with the FIA Secretary General for Sport.”
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FIA Slaps Verstappen for ‘F’ Word Outburst FIA Slaps Verstappen for ‘F’ Word Outburst
