Jos Verstappen slams the FIA: 'To do it through the media like that...'

Jos Verstappen has criticised the FIA for the swearing saga in F1 which has dominated the media in recent months. His son and 2024 F1 world champion, Max Verstappen, was the first to suffer the consequences of using the word 'f***'. Speaking to Formule1.nl, Jos also addressed how the FIA dealt with swearing, stating that they did it incorrectly.

Verstappen was given community service after swearing, which he carried out in Rwanda ahead of the FIA Awards ceremony. Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc also made mistakes during a press conference. Both also cursed, but only Charles Leclerc received a fine.

Jos Verstappen criticises FIA's decision-making:

Jos Verstappen thinks the FIA made an error highlighting the swearing. "At the FIA, they obviously made a mistake with those penalties. You can't impose a penalty every time someone says f***. Do you know what I would have done if I had been FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, I would have taken the drivers aside and said: 'Guys, watch your language'. But to play it all through the media like that..."

The former Benetton driver believes that the drivers should've been spoken to quietly. If something had been said, it could have been swept under the rug without much media attention. If it did not offend anyone, Verstappen Sr is also surprised that there were big punishments for the drivers.

Max Verstappen was openly critical of the FIA for their decisions and remained quiet for the rest of the weekend after he was first punished at the Singapore Grand Prix. Instead, he answered questions outside the press room as a protest.

This article was written in collaboration with Toby Nixon

Want more Formula 1? Then follow GPblog on our various social media channels!

X | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube