Max Verstappen conduct ‘unacceptable’ as FIA initiate swearing clampdown

Anthony Davidson says it was “unacceptable” that Max Verstappen swore in an FIA press conference after the drivers were told to watch their language.

With the issue of drivers swearing becoming a talking point of late, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said in the build-up to the Singapore Grand Prix weekend that he wanted F1 to limit the broadcast of foul language.

Max Verstappen chastised for ‘being slack out of the car’ with his language

Max Verstappen did not adhere to the warning and swore during Thursday’s driver press conference.

Asked why his team-mate Sergio Perez had been quicker than him in Baku, he replied: “I don’t know, man. Different set-up. So as soon as I went into qualifying, I knew the car was f***ed.”

The Red Bull driver was punished for breaching Article 12.2.1k of the International Sporting Code for “Misconduct”, and was ordered to carry out “some work of public interest”.

The ruling said that while Verstappen’s language was considered to be “coarse, rude” and “may cause offense”, his words during the press conference were not “directed at any individual or group”.

There has been mixed reaction with several team bosses defending the drivers, Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur saying he’s “not sure that the language is the first priority for them when they are driving the car” while James Vowles also acknowledging things can be said “in the moment”.

But while former F1 driver Davidson agrees that things are said in the heat of the moment when behind the wheel, he feels swearing in a press conference is “unacceptable”.

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“There’s one thing losing your cool in the cockpit travelling over 200 miles an hour,” Davidson told Sky F1.

“It’s a fight out there, you’re in fight mode in your head, and you’re not aware a lot of the time in that moment that what you say is broadcast to the world.

“It’s you and your engineer. That’s what you think when you’re in the car and you can lose your cool.

“It’s one thing losing your cool in the car and then being slack out of the car. And I think what we heard from Max and maybe a few others through the weekend – after it being announced – that’s unacceptable.”

As for Verstappen, he told broadcasters after FP2 on Friday night that he had “no words” for his FIA punishment.

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