Red Bull comes out with clear response to new FIA rules: "If we speak..."
F1 News
The FIA's new penalty system, which aims to deal more severely with driver misconduct, has caused a lot of outrage from fans. Red Bull Racing have now also come out with their reaction to the decision.
Red Bull comes out with clear response to new FIA rules
Red Bull has come out with a response to the FIA decision on the social media Threads. The Austrian team have shared a picture of Verstappen surrounded by a group of journalists and their microphones alongside the caption, "If we speak..." Without directly referring to the FIA's decision, this seems like a clear message from Max Verstappen's team.
By the end of 2024, the FIA was beginning to take stricter action on driver behaviour. In particular, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem wished to completely get rid of 'misconduct', such as open criticism and swearing. Verstappen was the first victim to such rules as he had to perform community service for swearing during a press conference. Charles Leclerc was later fined heavily for a similar offence.
At the time, the sanctions were met with resistance and they even triggered an official letter from the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GPDA). Despite this, Ben Sulayem did not listen as the FIA president claimed that he believes F1 drivers should instead focus on racing.
The FIA's new penalty system, under which stewards can now hand out large fines, points deductions and even suspensions to drivers, has been widely criticised. These rules apply to all racing classes under the governing body, but in Formula 1 the penalties are more severe. Details of how exactly the system works can be read here.
This article was written in collaboration with Nicole Mulder.
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