According to George Russell, chairman of the Formula 1 drivers’ union, discussions will take place with the FIA on Friday about swearing. He had previously promised that all drivers would approach the organization to devise a plan. After Max Verstappen received a community service penalty for using the word ‘fucked’, foul language has become a major point of discussion.
It all started with FIA president Ben Sulayem, who indicated in the run-up to the Singapore GP that he wanted to curb swearing in Formula 1. Max Verstappen disagreed. “If the car is fucked, I should be able to say that,” he said in an official press conference. The Dutchman had to pay for this with a community service penalty. Verstappen subsequently received a lot of support from his colleagues – in Mexico, the drivers want to approach the FIA to reach an agreement on the use of swear words.
“We will definitely sit down with the drivers after the drivers’ briefing,” said George Russell, chairman of the Formula 1 drivers’ union. “Swearing is clearly an important issue. I think we will first talk to the FIA to understand their position. After that, we can judge any measures.”
‘Common Sense’
According to Russell, the FIA went too far by imposing a community service penalty on Verstappen. “I think drivers whose native language is not English have a very different view of swearing,” he explained. “And even if you compare the British with the Australians, there are certain words that can be polite in their context, while those same words are massively disapproved of in the United Kingdom.”
“We can’t make a hundred-page regulation stating what you can and can’t say,” Russell concluded. “We just have to keep using our common sense. If someone makes an inappropriate comment or swears, there may need to be an appropriate fine. A community service penalty seems a bit excessive to me anyway.
