September 23rd 2024.
Max Verstappen, a renowned Formula One driver, has expressed his frustration with the strict response from the governing body after he swore during a press conference. He even went as far as to consider quitting the sport altogether. His outburst, where he described his car as "f****d", resulted in a community service punishment from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).
Verstappen was not pleased with the punishment and made his feelings known by giving one-word answers during an official FIA news press conference on Saturday. He believed the punishment was "ridiculous" and didn't hesitate to voice his protest. This whole incident has sparked a debate among other drivers, with some questioning the FIA's approach and others showing their support for Verstappen.
In the lead up to the race week, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem had urged drivers to avoid using bad language, stating that they are not rappers. These comments were met with disappointment from Lewis Hamilton, who felt there was a racial element to them. Hamilton, along with Lando Norris, who won the Singapore Grand Prix, have joined in questioning the FIA's handling of the situation. Verstappen also shared his concern that these "silly altercations" could impact his future in the sport.
The Dutch driver revealed that he has received support from his fellow drivers in the Grand Prix Drivers' Association WhatsApp group. They are now planning to have private discussions on how to move forward. GPDA chairman Alex Wurz expressed his view that the punishment was too severe and questioned the inconsistency in the FIA's actions, citing the case of Guenther Steiner who was praised for using the F-word on Netflix.
Wurz also highlighted that the GPDA's approach is to solve issues internally rather than going through the media. They aim to bring everyone together for the sake of the sport. He also stressed the importance of allowing drivers to express themselves to some extent, as long as it is not offensive or discriminatory. Wurz believes that the penalty imposed on Verstappen was too severe and that the drivers have made significant progress in terms of their conduct.
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