Furious F1 drivers release 330-word statement demanding they are treated like ‘adults’ after swearing row
FORMULA 1 drivers have hit back at punishments for swearing by calling on FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to treat them like adults.
Defending world champion Max Verstappen, 27, was sanctioned by the sport’s governing body, the FIA, back in September after describing his car as “f***ed” during a media press conference in Singapore.
Then last month, Charles Leclerc received a €10,000 fine (£8,300) – €5,000 of which is suspended for 12 months – for swearing during a presser for the Mexican Grand Prix.
In the wake of his punishment, Verstappen answered a host of questions with “no comment”.
When discussing swearing as a rule breach, he then said: “What are we? Five-year-olds, six-year-olds?”
Now the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, which includes all 20 drivers on the 2024 grid, have released a statement on the matter.
They have urged the sport’s bosses to appreciate a distinction 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 a Formula 1 car, or a driving situation”.
The GPDA also warned Ben Sulayem about his “tone and language” towards the drivers, insisting their “members are adults” and they “do not need to be given instructions via the media”.
The statement went on to raise concerns over the “negative image financial fines bring to the sport”.
Three-time world champion Verstappen sensationally revealed the swearing storm could impact his future in the sport if changes are not made.
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Grand Prix Drivers’ Association full statement
As is the case with every sport, competitors must abide by the referee’s decision, whether they like it or not, indeed whether they agree with it or not. That is how sport works. The Drivers (our members) are no different, and fully understand that.
Our members are professional drivers, racing in Formula 1, the pinnacle of international motorsport. They are the gladiators and every racing weekend they put on a great show for the fans.
With regards to swearing, 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 a Formula 1 car, or a driving situation.
We urge the FIA President to also consider his own tone and language when talking to our member drivers, or indeed about them, whether in a public forum or otherwise. Further, our members are adults, they do not need to be given instructions via the media, about matters as trivial as the wearing of jewellery and underpants.
The GPDA has, on countless occasions, expressed its view that Driver monetary fines are not appropriate for our Sport. For the past 3 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. We have also relayed our concerns about the negative image financial fines bring to the Sport. We once again request that the FIA President provides financial transparency and direct, open dialogue with us. All stakeholders (FIA, F1, the Teams and the GPDA) should jointly determine how and where the money is spent for the benefit of our Sport.
The GPDA wishes to collaborate in a constructive way with all the stakeholders, including the FIA President, in order to promote our great Sport for the benefit of everyone who works in it, pays for it, watches it, and indeed loves it. We are playing our part.
He said: “These kind of things definitely decide my future, if you can’t be yourself or you have to deal with these silly things.
“I’m now at the stage of my career that you don’t want to be dealing with this all the time. It’s really tiring.
“Of course it’s great to have success and win races, but once you’ve accomplished all of that, then you want to just have a good time as well.
“If you have to deal with all these kinds of silly things, for me that is not a way of continuing in this sport, that’s for sure.”
Last weekend, Verstappen came from 17th on the grid to win the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The result sees the Red Bull star take a huge step towards a fourth successive drivers’ championship.
He leads McLaren’s Lando Norris by 62 points with just three races remaining.
