FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has come under fire again over the governing body’s new swearing rules – after a rally driver was fined £8,300 (€10,000) for expletive language.
Drivers in the World Rally Championship (WRC) have issued a statement calling for an “urgent solution” to be found after Hyundai driver Adrian Fourmaux was hit with a financial penalty.
French driver Fourmaux said “we f***** yesterday” in a TV interview after the Rally Sweden event earlier this month, breaching a new aspect of the FIA’s International Sporting Code which covers “inappropriate language.”
It is the first time a competitor has been punished under the FIA’s – international motorsport’s governing body – new codified set of punishments. The new regulations were labelled as “ridiculous” by a source close to an F1 driver last month.
Now, the World Rally Drivers Alliance (WoRDA) have opposed the new regulations in a lengthy statement, where they also called into question the “relevance and validity of imposing any sort of penalty” for “unintentional language lapses.”
The statement read: “Whether navigating through dense forests, across frozen roads in the dead of night, or through the dust of treacherous gravel tracks, we push ourselves to the limit – against the elements, against the clock, and against our own limits.
“Beyond racing, our role has expanded. Today, rally drivers and co-drivers are not only athletes but also entertainers, content creators, and constant media figures. In recent months, however, there has been an alarming increase in the severity of the sanctions imposed for minor, isolated and unintentional language lapses. This has reached an unacceptable level.
“We strongly believe that: ‘Common colloquialism cannot be considered and judged as equal to genuine insult or an act of aggression.
“’Non mother-tongue speakers may use or repeat terms without full awareness of their meaning and connotation.
“’Seconds after an extreme adrenaline spike, it is unrealistic to expect a perfect and systematic control over emotions.’
“Rally is Extreme: risk level for the athletes, intensity of the focus, length of the days… all the limits are reached. In such a case we question the relevance and validity of imposing any sort of penalty. Moreover, the exorbitant fines are vastly disproportionate to the average income and budget in rallying.”
For drivers in top-level championships such as WRC, F1, Formula E and WEC (World Endurance Championship), a third offence could bring about a one-month suspension from competition.
A first offence carries a maximum of £33,800 fine; a second offence a maximum of £67,600 fine and suspended one-month suspension and a third offence a maximum £101,000 fine and one-month ban.
The WoRDA statement continued: “We are also concerned with the public impression these excessive sums create in the minds of the fans, suggesting this is an industry where money doesn’t matter.
“This also raises a fundamental question where does the money from these fines go?
“The lack of transparency only amplifies concerns and undermines confidence in the system. Surely the negative impressions surrounding these penalties far outweigh the impact of any language lapse.”
The issue first appeared in the spotlight last year, when Max Verstappen received community service in Rwanda for swearing in a press conference in Singapore.
Four-time F1 world champion Verstappen, when asked about the new rules in London last week, took the Jose Mourinho option and opted not to give his view on the matter.
The topic will be a cause of debate for new GPDA director Carlos Sainz, alongside George Russell, this year.
