Resolution Looms In Formula 1 Swearing Saga As FIA Boss Softens Stance

A resolution over the contentious issue of swearing in Formula 1 may at long last be on the horizon, according to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Last season, the head of world motorsport’s governing body asked drivers to rein in their language and warned heftier fines would be introduced as a deterrent for those who do not comply.

The stringent measures led to a bitter dispute between he and the drivers, with Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton dismissing Ben Sulayem’s approach as a needless power play.

But the two parties appear to have taken major steps towards a reconciliation ahead of the Miami Grand Prix this weekend.

“Humans make the rules and humans can improve the rules,” Ben Sulayem posted on Instagram on Monday.

“The principle of continuous improvement is something I have always believed in and is at the heart of all we do at the FIA.”

The FIA supremo added he had received “constructive feedback” from the drivers and was working on making “improvements” to Appendix B – the document which regulates punishments in Formula 1.

Swearing is included among the offences, as are non-authorized political statements and physical violence.

In September, Ben Sulayem called for Formula One Management to avoid broadcasting radio messages that contain swearing.

“We’re not rappers, you know,” he told Autosport.

“They say the F-word how many times per minute? We are not on that. That’s them, and we are [us].”

Formula 1 Drivers slam FIA’s hardline approach

His words, however, did not go down well with Hamilton, who described them as “very stereotypical” and questioned why the FIA boss chose rappers for his comparison.

“You think about — most rappers are black,” the seven-time world champion told reporters ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix last year.

“That really kind of points it towards when [he] says, ‘We’re not like them.’ So I think those are the wrong choice of words; there’s a racial element there.”

Some of Hamilton’s colleagues, meanwhile, were critical of the hardline approach suggesting a degree of leniency should be shown to drivers who swear in frustration during a race and to non-English speaking drivers.

Last season, Verstappen dismissed FIA’s approach as too sensitive and suggested the swearing should be a problem for broadcasters rather than drivers.

“I think a lot of people say a lot of bad things when they are full of adrenaline in other sports,” he said.

“It just doesn’t get picked up. I think it already just starts with not broadcasting it.”

Radio communications between drivers and their pit walls are vetted by Formula 1, which delays their broadcast to allow for the bleeping of swear words.

Offensive words are also blurred out in the graphics when sharing radio messages.

Verstappen was subsequently punished for using the F-word to describe Red Bull’s performances and reacted to his ban by delivering monosyllabic answers during FIA press conferences over the Singapore Grand Prix weekend.

The Dutchman then made a point of speaking with journalists at length away from official settings and made clear his patience was wearing thin with FIA and even threatened to quit the sport.

“These kinds of things definitely decide my future as well, when you can’t be yourself or you have to deal with these kinds of silly things,” he said.

“Now I am at the stage of my career where you don’t want to be dealing with this all the time. It’s really tiring.

“For me, that is not a way of continuing in the sport, that’s for sure.”

Verstappen unhappy with FIA’s censorship

Last week, the four-time world champion suggested drivers were effectively prevented from expressing their opinions in public.

“The problem is I cannot share my opinion about it because I might get penalised so it’s better not to talk about,” he said as he declined to discuss a five-second penalty he received during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

“Anything I say or try to say about it might get me in trouble.

“I know I cannot swear in here but at the same time you also cannot be critical in any form that might harm or danger.

“That’s why it is better not to talk about it because you can put yourself in trouble and I don’t think anyone wants that.”

Earlier this month, Carlos Sainz escaped a sanction for swearing during a press conference ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix while discussing a fine he received at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The Williams driver received a €20,000 ($22,700) fine, half of which was suspended, in Suzuka last weekend for arriving late to the national anthem ceremony on the starting grid.

I was the first one to put my hand up and say, ‘I’m late. I’m sorry for that.’,” he said.

“At the same time, I was five seconds late. And to be five seconds late and have to pay €10,000 or whatever the fine is, for me, it is out of the question that we are having to pay these fines.

“But yeah, I don’t know if I’m going to get another fine for saying this, but s*** happens.”