F1 Champ Max Verstappen Gets Community Service for Swearing

In Thursday’s press conference in Singapore ahead of this Sunday's F1 Singapore Grand Prix, world champion Max Verstappen was asked about the performance of his car last weekend in Azerbaijan.

Verstappen relayed that “as soon as I went into qualifying, I knew the car was f*****,” and the use of that profanity earned Verstappen a trip to the stewards.

They noted that language that is considered “coarse, rude or may cause offense” is a violation of the FIA’s Sporting Code, while also emphasizing that drivers are “role models both inside and outside the sport.”

Verstappen outlined that “the word used is ordinary in speech as he learned it, English not being his native language” and “while the stewards accept that this may be true, it is important for role models to learn to be mindful when speaking in public forums.”

Verstappen apologized for his behavior.

“The Stewards note that significant fines have been levied for language offensive to or directed at specific groups,” read a statement. “This is not the case here. But, as this topic has been raised before and is well known by the competitors, the Stewards determined to order a greater penalty than previously and that Verstappen be “obliged to accomplish some work of public interest.”

The exact “work of public interest” has not been outlined by the FIA.

The sanction comes as part of a wider talking point following an interview that FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem gave to Motorsport.com last weekend.

In the interview Ben Sulayem outlined his desire to stop drivers from swearing—and it being broadcast—during Grands Prix.

Formula 1, which controls the world feed and plays out select radio messages on a slight delay, bleeps out swear words, but Ben Sulayem wants them to go further.

“Imagine you are sitting with your children and watching the race and then someone is saying all of this dirty language,” he said. “I mean, what would your children or grandchildren say? What would you teach them if that is your sport?”

Ben Sulayem also added that “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].”

His comments have drawn widespread criticism from drivers, while seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton—who previously clashed with Ben Sulayem over the ban on jewelry—hit out at the language used.

While Hamilton sympathized with the notion, he said: “I don’t like how he’s expressed it, saying that rappers is very stereotypical. You think about most rappers are black. That really kind points it towards, when it says we’re not like them. So I think those are the wrong choice of words, there’s a racial element there. I agree with the fact that I think cleaning up a little bit. Also, it’s good to have some emotions. We’re not robots.”

McLaren driver Lando Norris quipped that “they can just not play the radios, so it’s quite simple from their side. We’re the guys in the heat of the moment, under stress, under pressure, fighting, having big crashes—it’s a lot easier for them to say than for us to do because we’re out there putting our hearts on the line trying to race people and we’re giving it our all.”

Charles Leclerc added that “I think there are other priorities for the FIA to look at the moment” and echoed Norris in believing that “maybe [they should] take off some of our bad words and not broadcast it as much.”