The FIA’s stewards have fined Charles Leclerc €10,000 (£8,420), half of which has been suspended, for swearing in last week’s press conference after the Mexican Grand Prix.
The decision comes five weeks after Max Verstappen was ordered to perform an act of “public work” for a similar infringement in the Singapore Grand Prix.
The stewards stated they “do not consider that this breach reached the same level as the most recent case.”
Leclerc immediately apologised after swearing in the official FIA press conference on Sunday. Having been asked “what did you say to yourself” when he briefly lost control of his car, Leclerc answered: “I had an oversteer from the other side and then I was like, ‘f**k’.”
“Oh, sorry,” he added immediately. “Oh, no, I don’t want to join Max!”
The stewards explained their decision at length, stating: “It is the policy of the FIA to ensure that language used in its public forums, such as press conferences, meets generally accepted standards for all audiences and broadcasts.
“In particular this is true of statements made by participants in the world championships and thus being role models both inside and outside the sport. This is clear in the regulations of the FIA and has been reinforced through previous cases brought before the stewards in FIA Formula 1 world championship.”
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
“The stewards reviewed the transcript of the post-race drivers’ press conference in Mexico and found that Charles Leclerc, the driver of car 16, used language in response to a somewhat leading question asking him ‘what did you say to yourself’ in relation to the significant moment towards the end of the race when Leclerc was fighting to control the car at the exit of the last corner. In response Leclerc used coarse language being the accurate recollection of what he thought to himself at the time. Leclerc immediately realized his error and apologised.
“Such language is not considered suitable for broadcast. This is ‘misconduct’ as defined in article 20 of the International Sporting Code, and is a breach of article 12.2.1.k. The stewards noted that the language was not directed at anyone or any group and that Leclerc immediately apologised. During the hearing Leclerc expressed his regret for his momentary lack of judgment and shared that he understood his responsibility as a role model for the…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at RaceFans…