Formula 1 Drivers Urge FIA for Adult Treatment Amidst Swearing Penalties

Following penalties issued to Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc for using expletives, Formula 1 drivers have called upon the sport’s governing body to regard them as adults. This comes after Verstappen used a swear word to describe his car during a news conference in Singapore. The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) has additionally expressed disapproval of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s “tone and language” concerning this matter. In an open letter, the GPDA stated: “There is a difference between swearing intended to insult others and more casual swearing, such as you might use to describe bad weather, or indeed an inanimate object such as an F1 car, or a driving situation.” The letter continued: “We urge the FIA president to consider his own tone and language when talking to our member drivers, or indeed about them, whether in a public forum or otherwise.” It also added: “Further, our members are adults. They do not need to be given instructions by the media about matters as trivial as the wearing of jewellery or underpants.” The FIA has been contacted for a statement. This letter has been anticipated since September, when Ben Sulayem conveyed his disapproval of swearing being broadcast during grands prix in an interview with Autosport prior to the Singapore Grand Prix. During the Singapore event, FIA stewards directed Red Bull driver Verstappen to “accomplish some work of public interest” following his use of a swear word to characterize his car in a news conference. Ben Sulayem’s remarks caused distress among the drivers, primarily because any expletives spoken over team radio are censored before broadcast. Furthermore, they believe that making these transmissions audible to the public enhances the sport by showcasing drivers’ personalities in high-pressure scenarios. In the interview, Lewis Hamilton accused Ben Sulayem of employing “stereotypical” language containing a “racial element,” with Ben Sulayem having stated that F1 needed to “differentiate between our sport – motorsport – and rap music.” Ferrari driver Leclerc received a fine at the recent Sao Paulo Grand Prix for an expletive used during the post-race news conference at the preceding Mexico event, where he described his emotions after a near-crash. The GPDA letter’s mention of “jewellery or underpants” refers to a prior dispute during Ben Sulayem’s tenure as president, when he mandated rules regarding appropriate underwear and prohibited drivers from wearing jewellery. The letter additionally conveyed the drivers’ dissatisfaction with the FIA’s use of fines as penalties and requested clarity on the allocation of these funds. The letter, signed by “the directors and chairman of the GPDA on behalf of the grand prix drivers,” stated: “The GPDA has, on countless occasions, expressed its view that driver monetary fines are not appropriate for out sport.” It continued: “For the past three years, we have called upon the FIA president to share the details and strategy regarding how the FIA’s financial fines are allocated and where the funds are spent.” The letter further added: “We have also relayed our concerns about the negative image financial fines bring to the sport.” “We once again request the FIA president provides financial transparency and direct, open dialogue with us.” The letter concluded this section by stating: “All stakeholders (FIA, F1, the teams and the GPDA) should jointly determine how and whether the money is spent for the benefit of the sport.” Alex Wurz, a former F1 driver, serves as the GPDA chairman, with Mercedes’ George Russell, former driver Sebastian Vettel, and Anastasia Fowle acting as its directors. The letter underscored the drivers’ wish to “collaborate in a constructive way with all the stakeholders, including the FIA president in order to promote our great sport of the benefit of everyone who works in it, pays for it, watches it and indeed loves it”. Given this context, the drivers’ decision to publish a letter criticizing two significant elements of the FIA’s oversight of the sport will likely be seen as an indication of their dissatisfaction with Ben Sulayem’s position on these matters. This also reflects their perception of not being heard or respected by the FIA regarding the issues at hand. The extent of the drivers’ discontent is evident, as this marks their first collective public statement since 2017, when they advocated for a restructuring of F1’s decision-making process to ensure the sport’s well-being.