Verstappen summoned by FIA stewards for swearing in press conference

Max Verstappen has been summoned by the FIA stewards for using foul language in a press conference at Formula 1’s Singapore Grand Prix.

The world champion made his remarks during Thursday’s official media gathering when he was asked about why team-mate Sergio Perez had been quicker than him in Azerbaijan last weekend.

Verstappen responded: “I don’t know, man. Different set-up. So as soon as I went into qualifying, I knew the car was f***ed.”

With the issue of drivers swearing having become a huge talking point after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said he wanted F1 to limit the broadcast of foul language on television broadcasts, the governing body has shown little tolerance for what Verstappen said.

A statement issued by the stewards after opening free practice said that Verstappen had been summoned for breaching Article 12.2.1k of the International Sporting Code.

This states it is an offence to issue: “any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motorsport and on the values defended by the FIA.”

The FIA has a history of clamping down on the use of foul language in official press conferences.

Last year, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur were formally warned by the race stewards for their choice of words in a fiery press conference at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Speaking in the wake of Carlos Sainz’s car having been damaged by a broken drain in first practice, Vasseur stated, amongst others that “this [situation] will cost us a fortune. We f****d-up the session for Carlos.”

Wolff later said: “You’re speaking about a f*****g drain cover that’s been undone, that has happened before – that’s nothing, it’s FP1.”

Speaking exclusively to Motorsport.com this week, Ben Sulayem said he had asked F1 chiefs to limit bad language being broadcast on the international feed.

“I mean, we have to differentiate between our sport – motorsport – and rap music,” Ben Sulayem said.

“We’re not rappers, you know. They say the F-word how many times per minute? We are not on that. That’s them and we are [us].”

Those remarks caused a stir in the paddock, with Lewis Hamilton criticising Ben Sulayem’s choice of words in referencing rappers, which he suggested had a ‘racial element’.

The seven-time champion said: “I don’t like how he expressed it. Saying that rappers is very stereotypical and if you think about it, most rappers are black and that really kind of points it towards, when it says: ‘We are not like them’. So I think those are the wrong choice of words. There is a racial element there.”