The FIA’s clampdown on swearing caused a bit of a row last season after Max Verstappen was handed a community service punishment at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Verstappen swore in a press conference, and was forced to conduct a visit to a local karting track in Rwanda while he was in the country after the end of the 2024 season.
The reason he was there was to collect his drivers’ championship trophy at the FIA’s prize-giving ceremony, making it a punishment that he couldn’t avoid.
Verstappen was threatened with further punishment if he didn’t fulfil his punishment, with Peter Windsor suggesting that a $1 million fine would stop drivers from swearing completely.
Aware that there are now consequences for such actions, expect all 20 Formula 1 drivers to be a little more careful with their language this season.
Martin Brundle ‘doesn’t feel right’ about the FIA’s new swearing penalties and suggested that they shouldn’t be doing it in the first place as role models to children around the world.
Zak Brown agrees with FIA initiative and sees ‘no reason’ for drivers to swear
On the other side of the argument, Guenther Steiner agrees with Max Verstappen in the FIA swearing row and believes that the stars have freedom of speech.
Steiner is renowned for his sweary outbursts on Netflix’s Drive to Survive series – it’s one of the things that helped him earn his Formula 1 fame.
READ MORE: Ralf Schumacher believes FIA swearing row will end in one way for Max Verstappen
One of his ex-rivals and current McLaren team boss Zak Brown disagrees though, and sees no reason why drivers should be swearing in a relaxed environment.
“They’re driving a lot of change, I think the swearing [initiative] I agree with in certain circumstances, meaning in a press conference where everything is quite chilled out and there is no emotion involved, there’s no reason to swear,” he said.
“You don’t see these athletes [or] managers in a press conference dropping f-bombs. I think that’s inappropriate.”
Formula 1 drivers face race bans if they ignore swearing rules
Changes to the FIA’s sporting code for 2025 mean that drivers now face a ‘one-month suspension plus a deduction of championship points’ for ignoring the new rules.
It may seem like a harsh and stern punishment at first glance, but it shows how keen they are to move on from what has been deemed acceptable in the past.
The FIA’s escalation plan for Verstappen’s swearing penalty was never required, and it’s unknown what he would’ve faced if he refused his community service.
READ MORE: Timo Glock shares why FIA swearing row will ‘cost’ Max Verstappen
Missing multiple races and losing points for anyone involved in the championship fight could and probably would be catastrophic.
It remains to be seen whether drivers will continue to fall foul of the new guidelines, or whether the FIA’s measures will prove effective.
