Carlos Sainz has had a narrow escape! After using the word shit during a press conference on media day leading up to the Bahrain GP, he risked a hefty fine. The FIA has implemented stricter rules this year, as several penalties were handed out for foul language last year. However, since Sainz promptly apologized, he has been let off with a warning.
Carlos Sainz had already received a fine of a whopping ten thousand euros after the Japan GP because he was late for the opening ceremony. The Williams driver missed the start of the Japanese national anthem because he was in the bathroom with stomach issues. During a press conference in Bahrain, he criticized the FIA’s actions, also because he claimed to be only ‘five seconds’ late. “Shit happens,” Sainz said with a wink.
No Fine for Sainz
With that, the Spaniard immediately risked a new fine. After Max Verstappen received community service last year for swearing during an official press moment, Charles Leclerc also received a fine of ten thousand euros for using the word shit. According to the tightened rules, Sainz could have possibly received a fine of forty thousand euros, but the FIA decided not to refer him to the stewards.
A spokesperson for the organization stated that the smooth operator had apologized for his behavior, and that he would make amends in a yet to be determined manner. Good news for Sainz, who knows that foul language can nowadays cost a pretty penny. According to the new rules, which were reportedly drawn up at the insistence of FIA chairman Mohammed Ben Sulayem, he could have received a fine of forty thousand euros. A second offense increases that amount to eighty thousand euros. A third offense automatically results in a fine of — you read it right — one hundred and twenty thousand euros, including a one-month suspension and deduction of championship points.
