Formula 1: Why Verstappen’s silent protest was the perfect response to a weak FIA president

Ahead of Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix, FIA President Ben Sulayem expressed in an exclusive interview with Autosport his desire to limit the use of profanity by drivers on team radio. The Emirati also called on Formula One Management, which produces live broadcasts for television networks, to limit the use of vulgar language on live broadcasts.

Verstappen was the first driver to be booked for a momentary slip of the tongue. He uttered the word in bold letters during last Thursday’s press conference when describing the balance of his Red Bull RB20 during qualifying for Sunday’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix. His punishment was community service.

The sanction immediately sparked a wave of indignation, especially among Verstappen’s drivers. Alex Wurz, the president of the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers Association), revealed on Austrian television channel ORF that the drivers were extremely angry about the sanction in the GPDA WhatsApp group.

Despite his ridiculous penalty, Verstappen bounced back in the only way he knew how. After losing his first lap to red flags, his final lap saw him finish second on the grid alongside championship rival Lando Norris.

But the drama wasn’t over yet. At the post-qualifying press conference, Verstappen responded to emcee Tom Clarkson with a series of one-word responses to protest the decision.

Once allowed to leave the venue, Verstappen staged a bizarre press scrum in the Marina Bay and car park, where he explained the lack of detail in his answers during the press conference.


“I obviously find it ridiculous what happened, so why should I give full answers when it is very easy to get a fine or a penalty of some kind,” Verstappen told the media after Saturday’s qualifying session. “So I prefer not to talk too much, save my voice, and we can do the interviews elsewhere.”

“They want to set a precedent, people have received warnings or small fines. Now, with me, they want to set an even bigger example, I guess. Which for me is a bit weird, of course because I didn’t insult anyone; I just said one thing about my car.

“I don’t want to blame the commissioners because I had a very good discussion with them. They just have to follow the code in the book. I think they’re quite understanding, but it’s difficult for them too. I think what I said wasn’t so bad. I understand that if I’m targeting someone, I think it’s wrong, of course, and emotions are high. I can understand that, but I think what I was given was quite ridiculous.”

Verstappen was unable to stop the Norris/McLaren duo on race day but still finished a fine second, limiting the damage to the title race. After the race, he again held two media audiences where he revealed that his disillusionment with the FIA’s handling of the sport could hasten his retirement.

Hamilton closes in on Verstappen

Photo: Mercedes Benz Media

Verstappen’s stance against the FIA’s latest crusade against standards was echoed by former title rival and seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who qualified third for Mercedes.

Throughout his F1 career, Hamilton has had previous troubles with the sport’s governing body. In 2021, after controversially losing the world title to Verstappen, he refused to attend the FIA’s prize-giving in Paris, receiving a €50,000 fine.

In 2022, the FIA ​​had planned to ban drivers from wearing jewellery for safety reasons, but Hamilton, who has several piercings, refused.

Ahead of the 2022 Miami GP, Hamilton arrived at the pre-race press conference wearing three watches and other jewelry.

The saga was resolved in 2023 when F1 bosses granted Hamilton a medical exemption to race with the piercings.

Although Hamilton and Ben Sulayem agree on the need to tackle swearing, the Briton was not impressed by the FIA ​​president’s language after he compared racing drivers to rappers during the interview.

Hamilton said Ben Sulayem’s comments had racial overtones before later encouraging Verstappen to ignore the sanction, proclaiming he would not serve a similar penalty.

“Yeah, I think it’s a bit of a joke, to be honest,” Hamilton added. “It’s the pinnacle of sport. Mistakes are made.”

“I certainly won’t, and I hope Max won’t.”

Norris also sided with Verstappen but offered a more humorous response to a tense press conference.

“He deserved it, it’s foul language,” Norris joked. “I think it’s pretty unfair. I don’t agree with any of it.”

Verstappen showed why weak Ben Sulayem has no respect

Photo: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Since his election in December 2021, Ben Sulayem has done everything he can to alienate people. Verstappen’s departure shows how little authority or respect he has from the big players in F1, and rather than defusing the situation, more often than not, he manipulates them.

The punishment was ridiculous to begin with, as the F-word was not uttered as a greeting to an individual but rather to describe how he felt behind the wheel. Verstappen gained further support by leading two verbal protests, showing his colleagues how to do it. It is doubtful that he will ever accept this idiotic penalty, and that neither will his colleagues if they receive a similar punishment.

Most of the big-name drivers have publicly backed the reigning world champion, meaning a future revolt is likely if more bizarre penalties are handed out.

There is an urgent need to rethink strategy. There is no reason to restrict what drivers say on the team radio; after all, they will not sound like Hemingway in the heat of battle.

And they shouldn’t be careful with their language either. Formula 1 is one of the few sports, along with rugby, where a microphone records every word, so it’s normal for a few swear words to be uttered when the adrenaline is at its peak.

Censoring profanity is also not a good solution. It is not for nothing that FOM launched a show “F1 kids”, created to meet the needs of a family audience who do not necessarily want to hear profanity coming out of the mouths of drivers.

Using a racial stereotype to make a point about drivers’ language shows that Ben Sulayem has little respect for the image of the sport or the people who work in it.

The last power-drunk FIA president, Frenchman Jean Marie Balestre, went to war with Ayrton Senna for nearly two years after the Brazilian’s controversial collision with Alain Prost at the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix. Balestre lost that battle, and Ben Sulayem would lose his.

If Ben Sulayem cannot accept that drivers have emotions, there is a simple solution to his problem: watch something else and let the gladiators who entertain the fans say what they want.