F1 News
Toto Wolff agrees with new FIA penalties: 'We have a responsibility'
- Savannah Lenz
In a red-carpet interview with Sky Sports, Toto Wolff was asked about his opinions on the new FIA penalties that were recently released. While many fans, drivers and teams alike seem to have negative views about the chances of championship points being taken away for misbehaviour, Wolff has a different mindset.
Toto Wolff agrees with what the FIA are trying to accomplish, even with the harsher penalties set to begin. After cracking down on swearing during press conferences last year, the FIA has taken another huge step in their attempt to "clean up" the swearing. He said, "I think we want to see emotions in the car, and there are ways of showing that or not".
'Any initiative is good'
Wolff continued, "I think also we have a responsibility towards all the spectators." Wolff has previously mentioned his young son and how he has picked up a few unsavoury words from the drivers as well. He has been vocal about how the swearing needs to be dialled down because of who watches.
The Mercedes Team Principal & CEO weighs in on the different cultures surrounding both the drivers and the fans. Some words are fine in other cultures, but he mentions how differently they can come across, and he specifically mentions British drivers, fans, and those who are higher up on the FIA totem pole. "I believe particularly the non-native ones, the British, often don't understand how grave or how nuanced the word can be."
He concluded, "In that respect, I think any initiative is good, and if we stop some of the bad swearing, that's that's positive."
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