Max Verstappen punished over F1 swearing incident in Singapore

Max Verstappen will be required to do “work in the public interest” as punishment for using bad language at a press conference at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.

The Dutchman used a swear word to describe the balance of his Red Bull RB20 car last weekend in Azerbaijan as he rarely struggled to keep up with teammate Sergio Perez.

Asked if Perez was faster than him, Verstappen said: “I don’t know, man. Different structure. So when I went into qualifying, I knew the car was broken.”

Verstappen was summoned to the FIA ​​commissioners, who, after hearing from the driver and Red Bull representatives, decided that he would carry out “some work of public interest”.

Verstappen was found to have committed “misconduct,” with language that “may be considered natural, rude or offensive and is not suitable for broadcast.”

The stewards accepted that cautions had occurred in previous situations, but imposed a “higher penalty” as the rules on swearing were “well known to the participants”.

Meanwhile, Verstappen's argument that English was not his first language was accepted, but the stewards decided that “it is important for role models to learn to be mindful when speaking in public forums, especially when they are not under particular pressure.” said the incumbent Prime Minister. The Formula 1 champion then apologized “for his behavior”.

The issue of drivers using swear words has become an intense topic of discussion in the paddock as the FIA ​​looks to curb the spread of swear words.

FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem announced that he has submitted a request to Formula One Management (FOM) to moderate broadcasts to the audience.

Verstappen is not the first to be cited for bad language

The last time the FIA ​​took a tough stance on foul language occurred in Las Vegas last November, when two team bosses received warnings for the words they chose.

Ferrari team boss Frederic Vasseur was outraged when a broken drain cover caused major damage to Carlos Sainz's car during the first hour of practice at the venue.

The Frenchman claimed: “This will cost us a fortune.” “We ruined the session for Carlos”, whose weekend would be marred by a failure on the grid.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff also came into conflict with the sports association over his passionate response to Vasseur's complaints about the incident.

“You’re talking about a damn drain cover that came off, that’s happened before – that’s nothing, it’s FP1,” Wolff reacted.