Max Verstappen’s usage of a swear word for describing his car performance at the Singapore GP weekend press conference caused a lot of uproar between the drivers and the FIA. The drivers particularly felt how trivial the matter was, with the Dutchman receiving a community service punishment for his swearing. Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa also feels that the entire controversy seems ‘ridiculous’.

“What the FIA ​​is doing is ridiculous. I mean, the drivers are fighting with everything they have for the world championship. When you can’t even say anything when you’re angry, come on,” Massa told Formule1.nl.

The Brazilian’s comments are in alignment with what Verstappen felt about his swearing punishment during the Singapore GP weekend. And he received support from all of his fellow drivers. Lewis Hamilton, in particular, was highly critical of the way FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem had addressed the issue of expletive language in the sport.
The FIA’s stance has been that they wish drivers to set an example for the younger audience of F1 and avoid swearing in official broadcasts and press conferences. However, the drivers feel that they are adults and there is no need for the FIA to police their language and behavior.

The community service penalty that Verstappen received was followed by Charles Leclerc also receiving a €10,000 fine [€5,000 of which is suspended] after his usage of the F-word during the Mexican GP presser. This instigated the drivers to take a stern stance via the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA).

Drivers urge the FIA President to watch his own language when referring to them
In an open letter addressed to the FIA president, the GPDA highlighted the difference between harmful swearing and expressions of frustration while also calling out Ben Sulayem for using certain words when referring to the drivers.

“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,” part of the letter read.

The drivers also used the letter to address the broader issue of monetary fines, which they argue harm the sport’s image. They criticized the lack of transparency surrounding how these fines are allocated and spent, urging the FIA to open a dialogue and provide clarity.

The swearing controversy has unleashed the growing frustration among the drivers against the FIA’s actions against them in recent years, as they feel restricted by several rules and their implementation, some of which can seem very trivial at times considering F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport.