Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has reopened his row with the FIA after being “punished like a little kid” for swearing in a press conference during the F1 2024 season.
Verstappen was sanctioned for using foul language in an FIA press conference ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix in September, with the governing body ordering the Red Bull driver to “undertake some work of public interest.”
Max Verstappen takes aim at FIA after serving punishment for swearing
The action against the World Champion came after Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the president of the FIA, called for a clampdown on F1 drivers swearing, insisting “we have to differentiate between our sport and rap music.”
Verstappen proceeded to stage a form of protest for the remainder of the Singapore GP weekend, being noticeably unforthcoming in FIA media events by offering a series of short and one-word answers.
The Dutchman’s stance won the praise of his fellow competitors including Mercedes driver and seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, who told Verstappen not to serve the FIA’s punishment.
Go deeper: Understanding Max Verstappen.
Lando Norris, the McLaren driver, described the action against his rival as “pretty unfair” with eight-time World Rally Champion Sebastien Ogier also following Verstappen’s lead by keeping quiet in interviews after being fined for stage-end comments.
Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari driver, was also punished for swearing in a press conference at the Mexican Grand Prix in October – but escaped with a fine of €10,000, half of which has been suspended for a year.
Verstappen finally served his punishment ahead of last week’s FIA prize-giving ceremony in Rwanda, where he appeared alongside Ben Sulayem at a grassroots motorsport development event attended by aspiring drivers and engineers in the capital city of Kigali.
Verstappen has frequently warned over recent years that he is planning to retire young, citing the demands of modern F1 – including an ever-expanding race schedule – as a factor likely to drive him away.
And he revealed that the FIA’s move to come down hard on him has left him pondering whether he wants to remain in the sport.
He told Viaplay: “That’s something I don’t like about F1.
“Of course, I understand that you can’t swear in a press conference, but it was an expression that came out very quickly.
“We all grew up like that, people sat there too. And some people say: ‘My five-year-old grandson is watching this too.’
“When I was five years old, I was also sitting among adults and swearing.
“You want to behave harshly like a child towards others. That’s part of it.
Of course, you have to watch your language, but to be punished like a little kid makes me wonder: what are we doing in this sport?”
Verstappen’s comments come after Ben Sulayem claimed the Red Bull driver was “so happy” to learn of the nature of his community service.
The FIA president went on to suggest that the contracts of F1 drivers could include an obligation to undertake some community service work in the future, with the governing body keen for it to be no longer considered a punishment.
Ben Sulayem said: “He really fulfilled his promise.
“This is the community service we need every single driver, champion, to do if we want to grow.
“If we talk about diversity: this is the real diversity. It was not about the car, mainly about the people there.
“I believe maybe in the future we won’t have to have it as a penalty.
“It has to come as a gesture from the drivers and maybe I’ll put it on the contract once they get their licence.”
Verstappen will head into the New Year on thin ice as it would mean the reigning World Champion is on eight FIA penalty points at the start of F1 2025.
A one-race ban is introduced when a driver accumulates 12 penalty points in a year; Danish Kevin Magnussen became the first driver to fall under the system, established in 2014, this year.
Verstappen’s total is not set to decrease until June 30, the day after the 11th race of the F1 2025 season in Austria, having had six penalty points added to his tally across the final five races of F1 2024.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso is the only other driver currently on eight, with three penalty points set to be erased from his record on March 24.