Formula 1 Drivers Criticize FIA’s Reversal on Swearing Penalties

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have voiced their disapproval of the FIA president’s decision to soften the swearing ban, labeling the situation as “ridiculous” and “a mess.” The drivers believe that the initial penalties were excessive and unnecessary.

F1 Drivers Express Displeasure over FIA’s U-Turn on Swearing Ban

Hamilton, when asked about the decision to backtrack ahead of the Imola Grand Prix, said, “It is ridiculous. I don’t really know. Nothing I say is going to make any difference to it. It seems a bit of a mess there at the moment.” Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, echoed similar sentiments, stating, “We’re talking about a situation where things have been reverted because it was a little bit ludicrous in the first place.

The FIA had initially proposed fines of €40,000 for a first offense and double that for a second offense, along with a ban. However, these penalties have now been reduced to €5,000 and the threat of a ban has been removed. Russell added, “Of course we’re happy to see that it [has been changed], but it should never have been there in the first place, if that makes sense.

Both drivers expressed their disappointment over the lack of communication from the FIA regarding this issue. Russell stated, “We’ve still had no correspondence with anyone from the senior level at the FIA. So yeah, it’s all a bit suspect.” When asked why they hadn’t been spoken to directly by Ben Sulayem, Russell replied, “That’s a good question. It seems more challenging than it should be really, but we’ve all put our views forward.

Despite the current situation, both drivers emphasized the need for dialogue and understanding between the FIA and the drivers. Russell concluded, “I think we feel we’ve put our views forward, and we want to have conversations and dialogue, and there’s only so much you can ask.