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Verstappen's message to the FIA: "I won't say too much anymore, for sure"
Max Verstappen is convinced that the new FIA sanctions on swearing will allow him to be less outspoken in F1. The Red Bull driver underlined ahead of the F1 75 Live event that now, his colleagues and also himself will have to watch their words more carefully.
Verstappen more careful after the FIA's rule change
Ahead of F1 75 Live, Verstappen was also asked about the recently-introduced guidelines. However, the Dutchman remained careful when answering. "Yeah, I prefer not to speak about that. It might get me in trouble. So it's better not to answer that," he told GPblog among others in London.
Later, he was asked about the same matter when talking to the Dutch media. Previously, many have been on record saying how much they appreciate Verstappen being straightforward and honest. "Yes, you can do less of that now," the driver began. "I'm not going to say too much anymore, that's for sure."
Verstappen was also asked about when Dan Ticktum recently swore several times in Formula E over the team radio, but was not penalised because it was just classified as communication between the team and the driver. "Of course, it also depends a bit on what you all say and who it is directed at," Verstappen said. "It's all very tricky. You obviously prefer to spend that money on something else then, like a children's room, fresh paint," he added jokingly.
For Verstappen, one thing is now clear: "You have to be very careful with what you say. It shows." Rally driver Adrien Fourmaux was for example recently fined heavily for saying a swear word in his post-race interview. "If you have read what that rally driver said, I think yes.... Then indeed you have to keep your mouth shut, but then you won't get very many interviews anymore either," Verstappen said.
Verstappen: 'These measures are quite extreme'
Asked if there is anything he and his fellow drivers can do, the Red Bull driver answered, "If you are a driver, you can give your opinion, but again you have to be careful about that. If voice your opinion too much, you can also get a penalty again. Anything can actually be offensive."
Still, the drivers do discuss their options. "We do talk about it of course, with the drivers and people see what we can do there. I think the majority, from what I've read, obviously find this quite abnormal," he continued. "I'm not going to tell you to start behaving differently, am I?"
Verstappen understands that drivers should not swear during official press conferences, but he thinks the rules could be written to be less harsh as well. "These are pretty extreme measures though," he notes.
First fine already handed out by the FIA in 2025
In January, the FIA published an updated version of their sporting regulations, which included a new penalty system for swearing that applies to all events and championships under the governing body, including Formula 1. The most discussed issues were that sky-high fines, points deductions and race bans could be handed out by the stewards.
The heaviest penalties under the recently-introduces system can be handed out to a driver if they commit the same offense three times over a two-year period. That could now lead to a one-month long suspension and getting a points deduction in the standings. In the World Rally Championship (WRC), the first fine for swearing was already handed out.
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sárközi
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