George Russell has sent a firm message to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem about a potential swearing ban U-turn.

The Mercedes driver and GPDA chairman is keen to see some action from Ben Sulayem — and to have a dialogue about the penalties associated with cursing.

George Russell wants “action” on FIA swearing ban

Ahead of the 2025 racing season, the FIA updated Appendix B in its International Sporting Code (ISC) with the intention of levying fines against drivers who use curse words or speak negatively about the sport.

The move has been unpopular with drivers, and World Rally Championship competitors have taken to refusing interviews in order to avoid any potential punishment.

But on the Monday before the Miami Grand Prix, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem shared a post to state that he is considering making “improvements” to the rules.

“Following constructive feedback from drivers across our seven FIA World Championships, I am considering making improvements to Appendix B,” Ben Sulayem wrote on Instagram.

“As a former rally driver, I understand the demands they face better than most.

“Appendix B is a key part of the International Sporting Code and is central in helping keep the sport accessible for all our sporting family.

“Humans make the rules and humans can improve the rules.

“This principle of continuous improvement is something I have always believed in and is at the heart of all we do at the FIA.”

However, there was no additional information about how F1 drivers would be impacted.

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When asked if he felt that Ben Sulayem was on the right track in pursuing changes and improvements to the swearing ban, Russell said, “Conceptually, yes.”

However, the driver also used the FIA press conference to highlight more about what he’d like to see from the president.

“We want to see these things put into action rather than saying ‘we’re considering things,’” Russell said. “You know, we all consider a lot of things.

“We’re clear we want changes and once they are implemented then we’ll comment. But for the time being, it’s being considered. So those words don’t mean anything until the change has been made.”

Russell was also asked to elaborate further on the role the GPDA plays with the FIA — specifically, if there should be a greater level of professionalism between the FIA and the GPDA regarding formal talks to discuss potential rule changes.

“I feel it’s like unprecedented times we’ve been in over the last 18 months with what’s been changed and what’s happening,” the GPDA chairman admitted.

“I think when the GPDA was founded years ago, it wasn’t really to talk about politics – it was to talk about safety, improvements of the sport, improvements of the racing.

“Especially myself – I find myself talking about topics that I didn’t really have any intention of talking about.

“But we find ourselves in a time where we’re not focused on the things why we’re all here. We’re here to go racing, we’re here to create the best show for the fans, to have the fastest cars, the safest cars, the best technology, the best engineering – and yet we talk about fines and punishments and swearing.

“So yeah, maybe something should change. We’re open to it, but we just ultimately want the best for the sport.”

Russell’s former teammate Lewis Hamilton also added his thoughts, noting that the GPDA is “very unified,” but that there’s a desire to have more say in the scope of the rules.

Hamilton continued, “Ultimately, we don’t hold a power seat at the table, and that needs to change, in my opinion.

“If you look at other sports that have unions, that may be something that comes into play at some stage.

“As I said, we don’t want to control things – we just want to collaborate more and have our voices heard.

“Ultimately, if people are making decisions for others who have never been in that position, it’s good to have the point of view from the driver’s perspective, and that’s all we try to give.”

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