Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc has been fined for swearing in the post-Mexican Grand Prix press conference but he’s avoided the community service order Max Verstappen received.
Leclerc said ‘f***’ as part of his answer when asked what he was thinking when he nearly put his Ferrari into the wall at Mexico’s final corner.
While on Thursday in Brazil, Max Verstappen suggested Leclerc had gotten away with it – saying the FIA’s clampdown on swearing “only counts for me” – Leclerc was summoned to the Brazilian GP stewards on Friday.
The stewards ruled Leclerc had breached Article 12.2.1 k) of the FIA’s International Sporting Code, just like Verstappen did.
“It is the policy of the FIA to ensure that language used in its public forums, such as press conferences, meets generally accepted standards for all audiences and broadcasts,” the stewards’ verdict read.
“In particular this is true of statements made by participants in the World Championships and thus being role models both inside and outside the sport. This is clear in the regulations of the FIA and has been reinforced through previous cases brought before the stewards in [F1].
“The stewards reviewed the transcript of the post-race drivers’ press conference in Mexico and found that Charles Leclerc, used language in response to a somewhat leading question asking him “what did you say to yourself” in relation to the significant moment towards the end of the race when Leclerc was fighting to control the car at the exit of the last corner.”
“In response, Leclerc used coarse language being the accurate recollection of what he thought to himself at the time. Leclerc immediately realized his error and apologised.
“Such language is not considered suitable for broadcast.”
This is considered ‘misconduct’ by the FIA’s ISC.
As well as immediately apologising at the time – “Oh, sorry!” Leclerc said, before adding: “Oh, no, oh no! I don’t want to join Max!” – Leclerc “expressed his regret for his momentary lack of judgment” during the summons.
Leclerc said he understood his responsibility as a role model for F1 and the stewards considered his immediate apology as a “mitigating factor”.
That led the stewards to “not consider that this breach reached the same level as the most recent case and as such chose to levy a fine of €10,000 with €5,000 suspended pending no repeat within 12 months”.
That “most recent case” in question was Verstappen receiving a community service order for swearing in the pre-event press conference at the Singapore GP.
While Verstappen apologised during the summons, he didn’t immediately apologise in the press conference where he described his RB20 in Baku as ‘f***ed’.
Another own goal
Josh Suttill
I called Verstappen’s community service order a “farcical overreaction” in Singapore, and while less severe, so is the fine for Leclerc’s single swear word.
Leclerc was directly and honestly answering the question of “what did you say to yourself when you brought the car back?”.
As the stewards noted it wasn’t directed at any individual, it was a one-off and clearly a slip-up in his second language as Leclerc immediately apologised and expressed his desire to avoid Verstappen’s fate.
We shouldn’t dissuade drivers from answering questions honestly or showing character. After all, that’s what makes the likes of Leclerc and Verstappen fantastic role models for the sport, far more than watching their language does.
I don’t believe there’s a double standard between Leclerc and Verstappen’s punishments given Leclerc immediately apologised and Verstappen didn’t.
So it’s consistent at least. But only consistent within a completely unnecessary, ludicrous clampdown that threatens to worsen the rift between the drivers and the FIA.
