FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem has expressed a desire for greater intervention when drivers use coarse language over the team radio. He announced this during a press conference in Madrid this weekend. Last year, Sulayem already voiced his opposition to the use of swear words in Formula 1. The FIA previously introduced harsher penalties for alleged misconduct, and now the organization is threatening to ‘mute’ the team radio.
The issue of drivers swearing came into sharp focus last season when the FIA President expressed his dissatisfaction with tirades over the team radio. “We are not rappers,” he declared irritably. Max Verstappen was given a community service order for using the word ‘fucked’ during an official press event. Charles Leclerc received a fine of ten thousand euros for a similar offense. To further tackle coarse language during race sessions, Sulayem is now threatening to ‘mute’ the team radio.
During a press conference in Madrid, the FIA President was asked about swearing over the team radio. “Should we push through and just mute the live communication?” he wondered aloud. “Perhaps. Should there be a delay? Perhaps. There are a lot of things we will work on with our promoters. We still own the championship.”
Combatting Misconduct
It’s unclear whether Ben Sulayem was referring to a potential disabling of the on-board radios during live broadcasts or a complete disruption of communication between drivers and the pit wall. Given the safety implications of a driver being unable to communicate with his team, the former option seems more likely. Currently, radio messages are already broadcast with a slight delay, during which any coarse language is censored.
In the lead-up to the new season, the FIA has updated the International Sporting Code. Drivers now risk hefty fines for alleged ‘misconduct’. This includes, but is not limited to, publicly inciting violence or hatred, statements that cause ‘moral harm’ to the FIA or its officials, and political, personal, or religious remarks that violate the FIA’s principle of neutrality. In the future, offenders may face suspensions or point deductions.
