The FIA’s widely-debated new rules on swearing claimed their first victim last weekend.
But, perhaps just as significantly, one case of high-profile profanity did not incur the stewards’ wrath. Why were the two situations handled differently?Hyundai World Rally Championship driver Adrian Fourmaux had the unfortunate distinction of collecting the first fine for swearing since the FIA issued new guidelines on penalties for “misconduct” last month.
“We fucked up yesterday,” remarked Fourmaux in an interview for the WRC’s official streaming service Rally.TV. The stewards responded by fining him €10,000 (£8,300) and leaving a further €20,000 fine hanging over him in the event of a further infraction.
The total €30,000 is as specified in the FIA’s guidelines for non-F1 world championships. F1 drivers can expect fines totalling €40,000 for the same infraction.
Fourmaux was punished under article 12.2.1.l of the International Sporting Code, which forbids “any misconduct.” This is defined as “the general use of language (written or verbal), gesture and/or sign that is offensive, insulting, coarse, rude or abusive and might reasonably be expected or be perceived to be coarse or rude or to cause offense, humiliation or to be inappropriate.”
According to the stewards, Fourmaux told them “he used the words in a colloquial and descriptive way [to mean] that he had made a mistake” and “he apologised as he did not mean to offend or insult anyone by using those words.”
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Meanwhile in another FIA world championship – Formula E – a driver launched into an expletive-ridden mid-race tirade. Cupra driver Dan Ticktum fired off at least 10 swear words in a series of messages on his radio after being told to pit due to a technical problem.
This, however, did not attract the attention of the powers-that-be. The FIA therefore appears to be making the same distinction between drivers swearing during their official media duties and doing the same on their radios during the races.
Whether or not the FIA is right to clamp down on swearing, doing so when drivers are competing in the heat of the moment would be harder to justify. That said, some driver radio messages in the past have attracted penalties from the FIA. Most notably, Yuki Tsunoda’s half-suspended €40,000 fine for using an ableist slur last year and Sergio Perez’s official warning for calling the stewards “a joke” the year before.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem may despair at some drivers’ tendency to swear irrespective of the context, but the first indication is the new regulations brought in during the off-season is not about to lead to a rash of penalties for sweary radio messages.
That said, the enforcement of these penalties has not always been consistent. Last year out of four occasions when F1 drivers swore during press conferences two were penalised (only one with a fine) and two were overlooked. And as the penalty for multiple violations of article 12.2.1.l includes a “one-month suspension plus deduction of championship points,” drivers would be unwise to risk it.
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BasCB (@bascb)
18th February 2025, 7:41
Sigh, the fight by MBS and the FIA on stopping normal colloquial use of “swearwords” in language. So unneeded, and bound to end up in a mess when inevitably the cases of severely punishing one thing, but not another start piling up.
PacificPR (@streydt)
18th February 2025, 8:07
It is far too subjective. If we only look at the examples given in the article. When will a driver get a penalty, if a steward feels personally offended? Will there be a live polling vote for the fans – and if 51% feels personally offended a driver will receive a penalty? At least that would be transparentt…
BasCB (@bascb)
18th February 2025, 9:01
I agree completely with that yes.
Zann (@zann)
18th February 2025, 7:41
The stewards probably swear themselves don’t they, must make it harder! But I don’t like swearing I think it’s bad for everyone, sometimes a bit of discipline can be a good thing.
PacificPR (@streydt)
18th February 2025, 15:38
Fair deal. Let’s open their mics as well!
Craig
18th February 2025, 7:45
I wouldn’t be surprised if this swearing debacle gets much, much sillier.
SteveR (@stever)
18th February 2025, 14:27
And I wouldn’t be surprised if this swearing debate gets much ****ing sillier.
Simon
18th February 2025, 22:05
Well done to you for being the first to post a comment with “****”
(slow… hand… clap…)
Christopher Rehn (@chrischrill)
18th February 2025, 7:50
I don’t understand why MBS and FIA want to be some sort of grammar police. Swearwords have an actual use in heat of the moment decision making. It expresses emotion. It is a ridiculous hill to die on for the FIA.
Craig
18th February 2025, 11:44
I think they’re using it as an excuse to clamp down on drivers expressing views on any wider issues. They didn’t like Vettel doing it and I’m sure they’re just waiting for the right moment to jump on Hamilton again.
pcxmac (@pcxmac)
18th February 2025, 12:51
pretty much. Its all about ruling by fear. It has nothing to do with profanity, and everything to do with people challenging abuse/fraud and incompetence/rigging.
Ideals (@ideals)
18th February 2025, 14:07
I mean, MBS comes from a country, colloquially also known as a “gangster’s paradise,” that has and will jail you for swearing or giving someone the finger… so it’s not really a mystery where it’s coming from.
This is not so much an FIA thing, as it is a “our boss really wants this” thing.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
18th February 2025, 19:49
@chrischrill It would be wise to be careful with such language – the Finnish for “grammar police” contains a swear, and it has been made clear that this is a matter on which the FIA can be extremely picky when it feels like it.
S Arkazam
18th February 2025, 8:02
I don’t perceive those words as ‘coarse or rude or to cause offence, humiliation or to be inappropriate’.
It’s a normal sentence, in which he is critical of himself and his team.
I wonder if the sentence would’ve been allowed if it left out the ‘up’ and was merely reflecting on a physical activity the night before.
All in all maybe time for a yes/no poll if the readers here find this particular sentence rude or offensive.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
23rd February 2025, 2:37
Regardless of whether it should have attracted a fine, your perception does not detract from the fundamental fact that the term used is indeed coarse, vulgar, and generally accepted to be a profanity.
If it were appropriate, then kids would be encouraged to use it in equally appropriate situations.
James Fuller
18th February 2025, 8:12
This is ridiculous. What I find unacceptable is the anodyne messaging of somebody who has fully accepted that they are a ‘media outlet’ and not a passionate competitor.
I have had to present creations in the engineering world, and while I can understand not scaring the public with blunt truth, I also was required to do that at engineering conferences. Not even swearing, but certainly cloaking the issue at hand, minimising seriousness.
Jere (@jerejj)
18th February 2025, 8:17
I was sure Fourmaux would receive a fine from MBS the moment he used the word in a descriptive manner.
For that matter, O. Solberg also used that word in Rally Monte Carlo in his final special stage time control interview without receiving any sanction, which was I guess because he immediately apologized like Leclerc in Mexico.
Sainz is right that FIA is going too far with their obsession, with radio comms the most clear case of occasional swearing being inevitable due to the heat-of-the-moment factor.
Btw, Ticktum looks almost unrecognizable nowadays.
Coventry Climax
18th February 2025, 9:03
Don’t know what you mean by unrecognizable. If it’s looks, can’t comment as I haven’t actually seen him recently.
Other than that, he seems the usual, recognizable Tantrum Ticktum, not that I care.
On topic, I don’t care much about anyone’s language, and I don’t think it’s the FiA’s task to police it. If you don’t like it, don’t broadcast it -which is censorship and debatable as well by the way.
Also, I utterly fail to see how Fourmaux’ remark can be explained as offensive or insulting to anyone, and given the percentage of the world population that uses the same words he used, them being coarse, rude or abusive is highly debatable.
Behaviour on track, that and that only is what they are supposed to police, as far as I’m concerned. There’s other law keeping institutes for everything else.
Coventry Climax
18th February 2025, 11:08
Haha, ‘I haven’t actually seen him recently’. Scrolling back up, I don’t know how I missed his foto. Recognizable enough though, even in looks. Sorry ’bout that.
Jere (@jerejj)
18th February 2025, 12:44
Coventry Climax I was referring to facial hair & hair, which are different to how I’d used to seeing him.
Coventry Climax
18th February 2025, 14:00
Yeah, he’s growing up. Not sure if an FiA fine really helps in that respect though. ;-)
S Arkazam
18th February 2025, 9:43
I would have preferred a more descriptive explanation.
Now it’s not clear if they merely did a bad job regarding the race/car, or if they had a massive orgie the night before.
Jere (@jerejj)
18th February 2025, 12:45
S Arkazam He was simply referring to his costly error the day before when he got stuck in snow & was forced to retire for the day.
Señor Sjon
18th February 2025, 9:00
I wonder when we will have player mics on soccer players and having them booked everytime they swear.
Ferrari used to scramble their radios. If angry responses on team radios will get drivers/teams penalties, I wonder how long teams will let it be open to broadcast and not just scramble again.
Coventry Climax
18th February 2025, 9:09
I doubt that’s still for the teams to decide – like so much else.
In the spirit of things; trying to scramble radio messages likely also gets teams fined by the FiA.
S Arkazam
18th February 2025, 9:35
Then maybe: “Hey Siri, tell the team that we fukced up in FIA/MBS acceptable wording.”
Coventry Climax
18th February 2025, 11:09
No, Siri is Apple. Musk won’t allow that.
rprp
18th February 2025, 14:31
I thought radio transmissions were no longer allowed to be scrambled. And something about them having to be in English too?
Joking aside, it is somewhat annoying having to hear Plan A and Plan B all the time. Back in the old days, you’d be kept guessing, whereas the context gives it away in most cases. “I don’t think I can make Plan A work” means “Plan A is a one stop. Consider two stopping”.
Jere (@jerejj)
18th February 2025, 12:46
What do you mean scramble? I don’t recall any such tactics by Ferrari in my time of watching & following F1.
Coventry Climax
18th February 2025, 14:09
Some 25 years ago, both McLaren and Ferrari were very opposed to broadcasting their radiomessages and seemed to block them from others. Until the FiA mandated it ofcourse. With a fine for not obliging, obviously.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
18th February 2025, 19:52
Ferrari and McLaren used to make a point of encoding the transmission medium. It’s part of the reason it’s still against the regulations to send transmissions in code – they’re not just referring to excessive jargon in broadcasts (which they seem to pass if it’s easy to explain or sufficiently silly) but to making it difficult/impossible for Liberty to pick up for broadcast.
Covnty Climax
18th February 2025, 20:44
Explain “it’s part of the reason” please?
Because personally, I see no actual reason behind it, other than the FiA’s idée fixe on controlling everything, and turning team-driver communication into the public entertainment it was never intended to be in the first place.
But maybe I missed something?
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
18th February 2025, 19:51
Scrambling isn’t allowed any more.
slowmo (@slowmo)
18th February 2025, 9:33
If I was a driver I would just refuse to deliver anything but the most minimum answer at every FIA conference until they back down. They will absolutely back down if every driver did this. The FIA have next to no power if the teams and drivers all turn against them.
I have no issue with them being tougher on swearing in interviews by the way, it is the ridiculous draconian measure they’ve implemented and how it’s worded. It also does ask the question of whether all FIA employees are expected to perform at the same level in their duties too.
ECWDanSelby (@ecwdanselby)
18th February 2025, 9:41
This – it’s a fairly simple fix. Either the drivers need to agree to say nothing (Like Max did), or just swear every other word. And end will be put to it fairly shortly, i’m sure!
PeteB (@peteb)
18th February 2025, 11:44
Or they could just not swear in an official press conferences… If I’m sat at my desk in work and I swear, no-one cares but if I’m being interviewed by the press or am giving a presentation to the company, it’d be viewed very differently.
Football is well known to be a sweary game – you hear it all the time whilst they’re playing. You don’t hear them swear in interviews even half as much as racing drivers though.
Ideals (@ideals)
18th February 2025, 17:57
The difference being that the drivers are not employed by the FIA. They represent their teams, not Mohammed.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
18th February 2025, 19:53
@slowmo Max has been doing this for several races and it just appears to have given the FIA more motivation.
Deerhunter
18th February 2025, 9:43
As silly as Sulayem’s crusades have been, these two cases actually make perfect sense though.
Offensive language made to the press is a no-no, while offensive language made during team radio conversations get a free pass.
I personally don’t think the ‘heat of the moment’ argument holds much water during official media sessions where drivers typically already have time to cool down a bit.
A more interesting scenario would be for more ‘creative’ language made to the press, akin to Vettel’s old ‘cucumber’ remark while referring to Karthikeyan years ago.
Jere (@jerejj)
18th February 2025, 12:48
Or Tsunoda’s ‘salami’ remark towards Hulkenberg in Monza last year.
I can agree with you in principle, though.
tielemst
18th February 2025, 9:48
I would encourage the drivers to use their creativity and come up with new swear words every week. “We cattle trucked up”, “that’s total blu swift” or something like that. They’re sports people. Make a sport out of it. Way more interesting than the obligatory responses we can expect in press conferences now.
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
18th February 2025, 13:22
It’s a shame their sponsors are neat rows of boring software logos, and not brands we can relate to, like KFC – “Finger lickin'” would be good for this.
Mike H (@mike57)
18th February 2025, 21:25
A simpler solution would be for the drivers themselves to actually say “bleep” or “bleeping”. Or do the FIA have a category for ‘dumb insolence” too?
I’m assuming the penalties are not just for English language profanities – another loophole maybe?
Jojo
18th February 2025, 10:01
I knew about Verstappen and Leclerc, but who were the other two?
Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
18th February 2025, 11:04
What was the penalty? Did they have to sit on the back row for their next press conference?
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
18th February 2025, 19:55
@bullfrog Leclerc got a $10,000 fine (half suspended). Verstappen got a day of community service, which he served in Rwanda the day after the FIA Gala (that he was required to attend due to his championship in any case).
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
18th February 2025, 19:56
Jojo, the non-penalised ones were Norris and Leclerc (yes, he did it twice in 2024).
Tony Mansell (@tonymansell)
18th February 2025, 11:13
Talking about is nearly as dull as the rule itself. Please lets not feed it.
PeteB (@peteb)
18th February 2025, 11:38
Seems fair enough to me. The drivers can swear on the radio in the heat of battle but not in official interviews. That’s the same as how it would work in most sports.
RBAlonso (@rbalonso)
18th February 2025, 12:36
I’m aware I remain in a minority of 1 on this matter but I still support it. Language is important, as is context. If the FIA imposed financial penalties for radio messages I would be outraged. But it’s difficult for me to get excited about fining someone for swearing in an environment where it is clearly uncalled for.
Coventry Climax
18th February 2025, 14:28
The issue is that it’s others that define what ‘swearing’ is in the first place.
I’m not religious, so I don’t care one bit about whatever context “the guy’s” (why not girl’s, animal’s or alien’s?) name is mentioned in. And which ‘guy’ by the way; there seem to be several of them worldwide, each saying theirs is the true one, and take offense on what the others are saying.
I swear, but just like when I hit myself with a hammer on the thumb, it’s never (OK, hardly ever) intended to be offensive to anyone in particular.
I’m fine with respecting the religious, or any person for that matter, but can we do the opposite as well, and respect the people of other religions and certainly those that aren’t religious too please?
I don’t believe: I either know, look it up or leave it be when it’s non of my interest.
Not taking offense and accept there’s others with different minds would be the real solution.
Even when it’s clearly meant as offence, you could still shrug your shoulders, as it says more about them than it does about you.
Amen. (‘it is so’, or, ‘so be it’, in case you didn’t know.)
Coventry Climax
18th February 2025, 14:38
About that last remark:
The Beatles had a worldwide very popular song and even -befittingly- named their final album similar, without using the exact word of ‘amen’. Means the same though. Let it be.
RBAlonso (@rbalonso)
18th February 2025, 16:24
The guidelines seem clearly outlined to me. I’m not sure where you’re deriving a religious angle from CC I must be honest. Fourmaux was punished because he said the f word for no reason other than carelessness. The TV can’t publish the interview, the sponsors can’t be seen, the sport loses (desperately needed) money. To my mind, a governing body’s remit is to ensure there is a framework in place to prevent it losing money.
I don’t think it’s a case of taking offence or seeking to take offence. I think it’s a recognition that young drivers everyday language is not permissable to the wider worldwide audience and that it needs to be policed. I say that as a young man who swears daily. But it’s not subjective whether you can swear or use coarse language at a nursery or to your boss – F1 drivers should be subject to basic manners too.
Coventry Climax
18th February 2025, 21:13
The religion thing was just an example. That and the four letter words are all called swearing by those who take offense.
Like I said, it says more about those using it than it does about those addressed.
If you want to be taken serious, use serious language, and excessive swearing isn’t part of that. That’s about it for me.
Take Guenther Steiner, he was a colorful person, but not many took him serious, including Gene Haas, in the end.
But to have something or someone telling him which words he can or cannot use?
F1 makes enough money, that just about the least of my concerns. Also, sponsors try to find those they think best advances their brand. If you’re serious about attracting sponsors – and keeping them; watch your language.
So, sorts itself out, I’d think.
RBAlonso (@rbalonso)
18th February 2025, 21:46
F1 hasn’t had to worry about money due to it’s expansion recently. But that audience has been garnered by a change in culture. We’ve expanded in America and with women. Racetracks are now welcoming environments that they weren’t at the turn of the century. Huge revenue was been brought in from the middle east.
These groups are more conservative than your average motor racing fan or young racer. If you look back at the decision to remove grid girls – fans were up in arms about that, now it would be impossible to imagine their reintroduction. The sport has changed to a risk averse, family environment – part of that is some basic ground rules on language in interviews.
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
18th February 2025, 19:58
@rbalonso The regulation itself has no context in it. It’s already been used in a situation that indicates drivers are required to lie in interviews, which is not clearly compatible with the regulations in itself (and for me at least, more offensive than most of the language the FIA has taken exception to since the step-up in enforcement).
RBAlonso (@rbalonso)
18th February 2025, 21:15
It depends on jurisdiction: the FIA clearly can’t interfere with internal team dialogue. We’ve seen that with years of team orders debacles. The rule was always only going to apply to media events run through the FIA/F1. If a driver is on a talk show do you think the FIA will remove points from them?
I don’t understand where the indication of lying is implied.
Robert Williams (@weiliwen)
18th February 2025, 13:42
Pretty soon, MBS will outlaw women from attending races. It’s coming.
I luv chicken
18th February 2025, 15:58
Is not swearing protected as free speech, in the USA? Would be interesting if an american team/driver let loose at a media conference. Litigation against the FIA, would insue, if penalies were threatened or imposed.
PeteB (@peteb)
18th February 2025, 19:24
No. Free speech means you won’t be arrested but it doesn’t mean there will be no consequences. If you walk into work and start shouting and swearing at your boss, you’re not going to get very far claiming “free speech.”
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
18th February 2025, 20:01
Free speech is about the government not being allowed to penalise someone’s speech. It says nothing about private organisations or individuals, in and of itself (different countries, and even different states in the case of the USA, interpret these aspects differently).
The FIA is already at risk of being litigated against, due to its lack of consistency and stepping into territory that isn’t the FIA’s to regulate upon (some of this area is actually Liberty’s, some of it belongs to neither).
S
19th February 2025, 7:43
I’m not sure this should come as a surprise.
Are FE team radios broadcast live, like they are in F1?
As for the press conference – that’s exactly the scenario that these rules were created for.
EffWunFan (@cairnsfella)
23rd February 2025, 3:40
Regardless of the swearing I would fine Dan Ticktum for… well, just because it’s Dan Ticktum. (Despite, as is noted on his own website, “Dan Ticktum is regarded by many in motorsport as one of the most talented drivers of his generation”)