The 2024 FIA Prize Gala will be held this week in Rwanda and, while Max Verstappen will be there to received his fourth F1 drivers’ trophy, he will also complete his owed community service.
Max Verstappen will complete his owed community service in Rwanda this week, the FIA has confirmed.
The penalty was imposed on him following statewide oaths made during a press conference at the Singapore GP event in this year. It alleged the stewards harshly restricted the use of the F-word and threatened to make the Red Bull driver carry out work of public interest in order to absolve himself.
Ferrari’s rival Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, said that he hoped that Verstappen wouldn’t adhere to such a ruling and added that he would not if it were him. But it seems the Dutchman has caved into the FIA in his latest brawl and accepted to serve what he was given.
The work will be done this week by Verstappen in Kigali, Rwanda. The Dutchman is to visit the African nation in any case to receive his award as Formula 1 champion for four consecutive years.
In a statement communicated by the FIA, details of Verstappen’s community service were revealed. It read: “The FIA has announced the details of Max Verstappen’s ‘work of public interest’ duty linked to the stewards’ penalty for the use of unacceptable language during the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix drivers’ press conference.
“Verstappen will travel to the FIA Awards Ceremony which takes place as part of the General Assemblies next week in Kigali, Rwanda, to collect his fourth consecutive FIA Formula One World Championship trophy. While in Kigali he will undertake some work with junior competitors as part of the grassroots development programme organised by the Rwanda Automobile Club (RAC).
The activity will entail an FIA Affordable Cross Car that was assembled in Rwanda by the RAC from drawings originating with the FIA. Specifications required to produce Level 2 equipment for the Affordable Cross Car category have been submitted to the worldwide network of 147 National Sporting Authorities (ASNs).
Verstappen concluded his season in the final race of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in position six. He lost his 10 seconds on the chequered flag after a coming together with Oscar Piastri at the beginning of the first lap and also picked up two further points on his licence, bringing his total to eight points.
Any driver who has accumulated 12 or more penalty points in twelve months is automatically subjected to one race ban. It is a penalty the Red Bull racer will not wish to accomplish the following season as a tight contest is expected.
Still, when asked about it after the race, he downplayed the occurrence and made winking reference to the fact that he and his teammate, Simon Pagini, are expecting their first child, Kelly Piquet, which was announced several weeks prior to this race. He joked: Let’s take 12 maybe when a baby is born there is paternity leave.