World champion Max Verstappen has received an unusual punishment from the Singapore Grand Prix stewards for swearing in Thursday’s FIA press conference.
The Red Bull driver attended yesterday’s drivers press conference as one of six drivers who must participate on a round-by-round basis, which rotates between the field of 20 drivers.
Verstappen was responding to a question about his disappointing result in last week’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix, in which he replied: “as soon as I went into qualifying, I knew the car was fucked.” The moderator reminded Verstappen not to swear, which the driver took issue with later in the session.
Following first practice for this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, the event stewards summoned Verstappen for an alleged breach of Article 12.2.1.k of the FIA’s International Sporting Code, which drivers can be punished for if deemed guilty of committing “any misconduct”.
However, after hearing from Verstappen, the stewards have chosen to hand him the uncommon punishment of carrying out “some work of public interest”. Verstappen was deemed to have committed “misconduct” due to using language “which is generally considered course, rude or may cause offence and is not considered suitable for broadcast.”
Despite the warnings issued for previous instances, the stewards felt that as the matter of swearing in press conferences was “well known by the competitors”, they ordered a “greater penalty than previously”. Verstappen will have to carry out “some work of public interest” as a result.
The Dutch driver defended his use of the word by claiming “the word used is ordinary in speech as he learned it, English not being his native language,” said the stewards.
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“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, in particular when not under any particular pressure. Verstappen apologised for his behaviour,” they ruled.
The penalty is comparable to the public service punishment he received after shoving Esteban Ocon in parc ferme following the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix. He completed this by observing stewards during the 2019 Marrakesh Formula E race and then participating in a stewards workshop as part of the FIA’s International Stewards Programme.
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