F1 drivers call out FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in response to swearing saga ahead of Las Vegas GP

F1 drivers have responded to the FIA and its president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in a strongly-worded statement after the recent swearing saga; Max Verstappen will have first chance to clinch the title at the Las Vegas GP on November 24, live on Sky Sports F1

Thursday 7 November 2024 14:37, UK

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In an 'unprecedented' situation, all 20 F1 drivers have criticised - via the Grand Prix Drivers' Association - FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem for his response to the recent swearing saga. Sky Sports News have approached the FIA for comment

The Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) has called out FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in response to Formula 1's recent swearing saga.

The GPDA, which is effectively Formula 1's drivers' union, urged Ben Sulayem to "consider his own tone and language when talking to our member drivers, or indeed about them, whether in public forum or otherwise".

All 20 current drivers are members, with Mercedes' George Russell holding a director's position and Alex Wurz, the former McLaren and Williams driver, its long-standing chair.

GPDA statement regarding driver misconduct

"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. This 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 an F1 car, or 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 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 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. 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."

Sky Sports News has asked the FIA for comment.

The issue of swearing was thrust into the spotlight after Ben Sulayem said in an interview published on the eve of September's Singapore GP that he wanted to see less foul language, which is bleeped from radio feeds aired on F1's world TV feed.

He said F1 should "differentiate between our sport - motorsport - and rap music" which Lewis Hamilton thought was "stereotypical" language with a "racial element".

While Ben Sulayem, who became FIA president at the end of 2021 on a four-year term, said he had made a request to Formula 1 itself, the sport's commercial rights holder, he also argued that drivers themselves had a responsibility to mind their language.

Later on the same day the interview was published, Max Verstappen was given F1's equivalent of community service for swearing during a press conference when describing his Red Bull car's performance, which resulted in him refusing to give full answers in several official media appearances that followed.

The GPDA statement points to this when saying "there is a difference between swearing 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 driving situation".

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc then received a €10,000 (£8,420) fine for using a swear word in the post-race press conference at last month's Mexico City Grand Prix. Although stewards took into account the fact Leclerc had issued an immediate apology and appeared contrite, a fine for the rules breach was still levied.

A reference in the GPDA statement that the drivers "are adults, they do not need to given instructions via the media about matters as trivial as wearing of jewellery and underpants," is about last year's controversial rules on a ban to wear jewellery.

Hamilton was given an exemption to wear a nose piercing before taking it off ahead of the 2023 British Grand Prix.

F1 drivers express concerns about fines

Meanwhile, discussion and controversy around F1's driving standards guidelines dominated the recent triple header of races in the Americas, with Verstappen's driving in his battle with title-rival Lando Norris coming under particular scrutiny.

Russell and other drivers have called for permanent stewards in a bid for more consistency. Currently, the stewards are different for each race.

Last month, Russell said it seems "a little bit ridiculous for a driver to get a £50,000 fine for walking over a racetrack, but if the £50,000 fine is going towards the best stewards in the world, maybe we won't be so upset about it".

The GPDA statement also alluded to fines in F1, which it suggests can be used in a better way.

"The GPDA has, on countless occasions, expressed its view that driver monetary fines are not appropriate for our sport," it read.

"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.

"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."

Formula 1 returns with the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 22-24, live on Sky Sports F1 where Max Verstappen could seal the championship. Get Sky Sports F1 to watch every race and more live

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