F1 News
Gasly jokes about swearing policy: 'Yuki called me names, but I figured'
Over the course of the week, WRC drivers have protested about the new FIA swearing policies in Kenya. In China, Pierre Gasly also reflected on the meeting the drivers had in Australia, and made a nuanced point about why these rules are especially hard to deal with for people who are not native English-speakers.
Heavy penalties can await the drivers who swear in Formula 1, after in 2024, Max Verstappen already had to complete mandatory community service for swearing at an FIA press conference in Singapore.
"Obviously been discussed and my view on it is: we're professional, we want to be respectful, we are role models and we've got to live up to these standards and use some common sense, because I think that's completely understandable," Gasly began in China after he was asked about the WRC protest.
However, Gasly sees that for some, this is a greater challenge. "At the same time, I do feel it's not always easy when you don't speak your mother language. I'm French, I learn English, I speak English, but I'm not as at ease as much as I do when I [speak] French."
'Yuki called me names'
Gasly also mentioned his former teammate Yuki Tsunoda. Gasly got on really well with the Japanese driver at AlphaTauri. "I always relate to Yuki. I got very offended more than once when we were teammates together with the names he used to call me. But then I figured out it's just that he didn't have the vocabulary for it. He didn't mean to be rude," he said laughing.
"It's just understanding that for some people, you don't always mean exactly what you say when you don't speak your language. At the end of the day, this is what we've got to deal with. I think there was a good conversation [in Melbourne with the F1 drivers]. We understand where we want to go, and I think we all want to meet in the same place. It's just about the way you're sanctioned about it, which is a bit questionable, and hopefully we can improve it," he concluded about the matter.
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