The rally drivers have had enough! Competitors in the World Rally Championship are planning to boycott English-language interviews during this weekend’s Safari Rally Kenya. They will either remain silent or respond only in their native language. This protest is in response to the €10,000 fine imposed on Adrien Formaux for using the word ‘f*cked’ during an interview at the Sweden Rally.
Adrien Formaux became the first victim of the FIA’s stricter penalties for ‘misconduct’, including foul language, in February. The French rally driver used the word ‘f*cked’ after a challenging stage at the Sweden Rally. Formaux was immediately summoned by the FIA and had to pay a fine of €10,000 within 48 hours.
After the hefty fine was levied on the Frenchman, his colleagues decided to form a union: the World Rally Drivers’ Alliance (WoRDA). The union then officially requested FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem to discuss the matter, but reportedly received no response. As a result, the rally drivers decided to take a stand during the next rally race, the Safari Rally Kenya.
The drivers expressed their dissatisfaction with the situation by boycotting English interviews. Elfyn Evans from Wales and Frenchman Thierry Neuville responded only in their native languages, while other drivers, such as Formaux himself, gave no response at all. Reportedly, the drivers plan to maintain this approach throughout the weekend. “Unfortunately, you won’t hear much from me this weekend, but if that’s what we need to do to make a difference, then that’s what we’ll do,” said two-time world champion Kalle Rovanperä.
Freedom of Speech
WoRDA further explained in a new statement to DirtFish: “We all agree that we want to minimize rudeness at the microphone. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain a certain freedom of speech and keep emotions alive, and that drivers do not need to fear being punished in any way.”
“It is impossible for us to guarantee that we, drivers and co-drivers, will perfectly and systematically follow the current rules. Therefore, we, the members of WoRDA, are now making the responsible decision to remain silent at the end of interviews or to respond in our native languages. Such action is unfortunately necessary for the sake of our sport, and we apologize to all rally fans, even though we know they support us in this.”
