Ferrari now implicated by FIA clamp down | thejudge13

Whilst the 2024 Formula One Singapore Grand Prix five weeks ago has for most faded into a distant memory, the FIA campaign to clamp down on ‘bad language’ announced before the city state’s Grand Prix is set to rear its head again.

Max Verstappen had faced questions in the Singapore FIA drivers’ press conference on how his car had performed the week prior at the Azerbaijan weekend. The world champion replied: “As soon as I went into qualifying, I knew the car was f***ed,” Verstappen said while explaining his tricky Baku weekend.

This was deemed to be a breach of Article 12.2.1.k of the international sporting code, relating to the catch all clause of “any misconduct”. The stewards stated it was FIA policy to “ensure that language used in its public forums, such as press conferences, meets generally accepted standards for all audiences and broadcasts”, particularly with regard to statements made by drivers and team representatives with the consideration that they are “role models both inside and outside the sport”.

The ruling stated that the language Verstappen used was “generally considered ‘coarse, rude’ or may ’cause offence’ and is not considered suitable for broadcast”, therefore meeting the criteria for misconduct as outlined in the pertaining Article 12.2.1.k. Max was issued with a penalty deliberately designed to make a statement about the affair as the race stewards ordered the world champion “to accomplish some work of public interest”.

Verstappen was furious at the stewards for using him to make an example to the rest following a new emphasis on a ‘bad language’ clampdown declared earlier in the week by the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

“They want to set a precedent,” Verstappen explained after the event. “People got warnings or a little fine [in the past] and now with me they want to set an even bigger example I guess, which for me is a bit weird of course because I didn’t swear at anyone particularly, I just said one thing about my car.” Max appears particularly irritated by the nature of the ‘community service’ style penalty which is something rarely used by the stewards.

“It’s in the code, you know? They have to follow the book and it’s not the stewards, I don’t want to blame this on the stewards because I actually had a really good chat with them and they need to follow the code, the book. I think they are quite understanding, but it’s difficult for them as well.”

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Max then went into protest mode and refused to answer questions at the post race FIA press conference. He gave one word answers before telling the assembled media he would speak to them properly outside the FIA designated meeting room.

The situation decided into farce when after the official FIA press conference and FIA representative prevented Max from talking to journalists directly outside the room and so instead Verstappen answered questions as he walked down stairs from the media centre to the TV pen.

Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris who were present for the FIA press event booth agreed the punishment issued to Max was heavy handed, with the seven times world champion goading Max to defy the punishment.

“I think it’s a bit of a joke to be honest,” Hamilton said. “This is the pinnacle of the sport. Mistakes are made. I certainly wouldn’t be doing it [the community service] and I hope Max doesn’t do it.”

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Lando Norris added: “I think it’s pretty unfair, I don’t agree with any of it, so, yep.”

The four week autumn break and the uneventful USGP in Austin appeared to have calmed troubled ‘sweary’ waters although no confirmation has been issued as to what ‘community service’ Max has or will be doing.

Now Charles Leclerc may find himself suffering a similar fate to Max Verstappen following his comments in the FIA press conference following the 2024 Mexican Grand Prix. Having claimed third place Leclerc was commenting on a late wobble he had in the race when it seemed though he was heading for a full on crash into the barriers.

The recovery made by the Monegasque driver when his Ferrari had a full on snap exiting the final corner was indeed spectacular and as Charles recounted, “I do not know which face I did but it had to be a pretty stressful one.

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“When I lost it… I knew I had to do everything perfect. Lando was so quick at that time. I was trying to do everything possible for him to overheat [his tyres] behind me, and keep him as long as possible behind me.

“So I tried to have the best exit possible. I could see that he was very close out of that corner, but I lost the rear, and then you forget about Lando and you just hope you are going to take it back. I had one oversteer, and then when I recovered from that oversteer, I had an oversteer from the other side, and then I was like, ‘F***!’”

There was an audible gasp from several reporters present as Leclerc uttered the expletive and this response clearly demonstrated the b ig time fall out from Verstappen’s similar comments five weeks previous.

Charles Leclerc was quick to realise what he had said quickly issuing an apology to those present. “Sorry! Oh no, oh no. I do not want to join Max.” And is if to minimise his mistake, Charles quickly returned to answering the question saying, “Then, I was just hoping to bring the car to the finish line and get that third place.”

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Punishments for swearing have been routinely issued in recent times with Yuki Tsunoda fined €40,000 this summer for making ableist comments. As the Japanese driver was overtaken in the pitlane at the end of Q1 in Austria, he exploded over team radio: “These guys are f***ing retarded.”

At the inaugural F1 Grand Prix along the strip in Las Vegas, Mercedes CEO Toto Wolff and Ferrari team principal were given warnings from the FIA for language they used in a press conference following a loose manhole cover destroying Carlos Sainz Ferrari.

Leclerc will almost certainly be sanctioned in light of the current FIA clamp down on swearing, but it will be the nature of his punishment which is a potential banana skin for the FIA should they award him a less high profile punishment than they did for Verstappen in Singapore.

An FIA official approached Leclerc alone after the press conference had finished.

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With the Aurodromo Romanos Rodriguez now silent and the volunteers collecting the discarded hot dog wrappers, the Formula One Mexican Grand Prix has been and gone for another year. Who knows whether this was the last ever home Grand Prix for Sergio Perez but the Mexican appeared to be drinking in the atmosphere as the a capella rendition of the national anthem rang out around the stadium.

The TJ13 WhatsApp group was high with anticipation for the Grand Prix on Sunday and the joke was shared, ‘how much worse could Checo be this year in Mexico City than his first corner wipe out from 2023?’ The answer came swiftly as Perez lined up his RB20 after the formation lap.

Sergio was visibly more than a foot beyond the front line of his grid slot, a mistake even a rookie in his first Grand Prix would avoid. This appeared some kind of omen for Checo as his day went from bad to worse… READ MORE