F1 fans deliver overwhelming Verstappen swearing penalty verdict

The biggest talking point of the Singapore Grand Prix was undoubtedly the off-track drama surrounding Max Verstappen and the FIA.

It is not unusual for on-track exploits to be overshadowed by politics and scandal from within the paddock, but the episode between F1’s governing body and its current star driver had an old-school feel.

What happened at the Marina Bay Street Circuit between the Dutchman and the FIA is already well-trodden ground, and what came after the punishment incurred for saying the F-word in Thursday’s FIA drivers’ press conference felt like a throwback to the 1980s with impromptu media scrums and the stars of the series warring against the powers that be.

However, a pertinent question remained: Was it right for Max Verstappen to be punished for swearing?

As is well known by this stage, the 26-year-old is now obligated to “accomplish some work of public interest”, but the vast majority of F1 fans believe the penalty to be heavy-handed and undue.

Of the 10,075 respondents to the latest poll by RacingNews365, over 83 percent believe Verstappen should not have been punished for using bad language on Thursday in Singapore. That is a conclusive verdict.

Exactly how the situation unfolds remains to be seen when F1 returns in Austin, but it is certain the FIA does not have the backing of F1 fans over its handling of so-called ‘Sweargate’.

Check out the full results of the latest poll conducted by RacingNews365 below.