Verstappen must go before the sports stewards for inappropriate words at the press conference

Max Verstappen had to go in front of the sports stewards because of the words he spoke at the press conference yesterday.

According to the sports commissioners, Verstappen could have violated Article 12.2.1.k of the International Sporting Regulations.

The Red Bull driver said at the official FIA press conference that Red Bull “fart***ed” qualifying in Baku after the set-up changes.

“I don’t know. Other situations. So as soon as I went into qualifying, I knew the car was in f***.

Later, the FIA ​​president’s statement was also a topic. The federation wants more to deal with racism on team radios.

“Pardon the language, but come on, what are we? Five year old, six year old? “Even if a five or six-year-old child is watching it, he will still talk hate in the end, even if the parents don’t want him to or don’t allow him,” said Verstappen.

Punishment

Max Verstappen was ordered by the stewards to “do some work for the public good”.

“It is the policy of the FIA ​​to ensure that the language used in its public forums, such as press conferences, conforms to generally accepted standards for spectatorship and broadcasting,” said the sports stewards.

“This is especially true for the statements of the World Cup participants who are role models both inside and outside the sport.”

“This is clearly stated in the FIA ​​regulations and has been reinforced due to issues brought to the previous stewards in Formula 1, especially in Las Vegas in 2023.”

“Stewards have reviewed the transcript of Thursday’s FIA drivers’ press conference in Singapore and Max Verstappen, the driver of car 1, used language in describing his car in Azerbaijan that is generally regarded as ‘indecent, obscene’ or likely to cause offence. ‘ and is not considered suitable for broadcast.”

“When encouraged by the rangers, the rider explained that the word used was common in speech as he learned, and English is not his first language.”

The stewards admitted that this may be true, but said that riders must learn to be “careful when speaking in public forums, especially when they are not under any particular pressure. Verstappen apologized for his behaviour.’

As this issue has been brought up before and is known to the competitors, the stewards decided to impose a higher penalty than before and “oblige Verstappen to do some work for the public good” ” (Article 12.4.1.d of the International Sporting Regulations), in cooperation with the General Secretary of Sport of the FIA.