Formula 1 drivers will now face race bans, fines, and points deductions if they repeatedly swear or criticise the FIA under new rules.
The FIA made changes to the International Sporting Code for the 2025 season, which applies to all championships, which enable stewards to hand out penalties towards a multiple race-ban in F1 should any driver fall foul of the misconduct clause.
It comes after FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem issued a crackdown on swearing last season, noting how drivers ‘sound like rappers’ over team radio and linking it to abuse online.
The governing body has been keen to stamp out online abuse, but the latest draconian penalties are likely going to be met with hostility from drivers and teams.
According to a report by BBC Sport’s Andrew Benson, there is said to be discontent over the handling of the changes by Ben Sulayem.
Some within the FIA are against the new swearing crackdown
Article 12.2.1.L of the ISC covers the area of ‘any misconduct’ for which both Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were investigated for using the f-word in an FIA press conference last season.
Verstappen was handed community service, which was served at the FIA Prize Giving Gala in Rwanda, however, the Dutchman retaliated at races last year by not answering questions in the official FIA press conferences in protest.
Leclerc was also fined €10,000 by the stewards, who claimed there were mitigating circumstances because he immediately apologised afterwards. The latest guidance from the FIA states that stewards can issue fines starting from €10,000 (£8,500) up to €30,000 (£23,800). This is quadrupled for F1 and similar championships such as Formula E and WRC.
F1 drivers face fines in the first instance of €40,000 (£33,800); a second offence by €80,000 (£67,600) and a suspended one-month suspension from competition; and a third offence €120,000 (£101,000) fine, a one-month suspension, and an unspecified points deduction.
According to the report by BBC, “a lot of” people at the FIA were against the move and claimed that it happened following a “snap e-vote and with no consultation with other stakeholders or the GPDA or the FIA’s own drivers’ commission”.
Benson also says that another source claimed it was “not right” to act in this way and questioned why it was not scheduled for discussion at the next world motorsport council meeting.
Latest developments likely to rile F1 drivers and teams at time of tension with FIA
Ben Sulayem has already attracted a lot of criticism for his handling of various issues in F1, most recently when he changed the FIA statues to reduce the accountibility of the governing body.
Eddie Jordan also criticised him after Lando Norris was issued with a penalty in the Qatar GP, after he missed a yellow flag zone and was handed a 10-second stop/go penalty.
The Grand Prix Drivers Association, which is made up of all 20 drivers on the grid and headed by George Russell, issued a letter to the FIA last year criticising its leadership for engaging in ‘trivial’ matters such as swearing and wearing jewellery.
After the letter went out, F1 Race Director Niels Wittich was sacked from his position and replaced by Rui Marques for the final two races of the year. Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok felt there were more serious issues for the FIA to address, instead of drivers swearing.
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