The maximum possible fine for Formula One drivers swearing has been reduced by 50% by the sport’s governing body, the FIA.
The decision is part of a broader range of amendments that demonstrate that the governing body is backing down from the strict stance against swearing that has made drivers unhappy.
Fine for swearing
The FIA has been warring with drivers since September last year, when four-time world champion Max Verstappen was punished for swearing in a press conference.
The Grand Prix Drivers Association then responded with a statement that rebuked punishing drivers for swearing.
Part of the statement read: “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.”
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While the FIA did not respond to the statement last November, the amendments made by the governing body seem to account for the driver’s complaints.
The maximum fine has been reduced from €10,000 ($AU17,400) to €5,000 ($AU8,700), and if it is a driver’s first offence, the penalty can be suspended by the stewards.
The stewards, the officials who enforce the rules in F1, can also determine if the swearing took place in a “controlled” (e.g. press conference) or “non-controlled” (e.g. mid-race) environment and hand down punishments accordingly.
What they said
Ronan Morgan, President of the Drivers’ Committee, said: “Drivers are looked up to as role models by young fans and are rightly seen as ambassadors for the wider world of motor sport. How they act really does matter but it is important to recognise that there is a difference between what is said during a race and in a press conference.”
The FIA’s amendments have not been addressed by the drivers, who are racing in Italy this weekend.
