Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing looks on in the Paddock prior to final practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 21, 2024 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
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F1 News: Verstappen swearing penalty ‘excessive’, says Steiner

Andrew Maitland

(GMM) Gunther Steiner thinks the FIA penalizing Max Verstappen for swearing during a press conference in Singapore is “excessive”.

As news swirled about FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s swearing clampdown, Verstappen immediately tested the waters in the FIA press conference on Thursday by describing his Baku-spec Red Bull as “f**ked”.

Later in the same press conference, he strongly hit out at the swearing ban, declaring: “Excuse me for the language but come on, what are we? Five-year-olds? Six-year-olds?

“I mean even if a five-year-old or six-year-old is watching, they will eventually swear anyway even if their parents won’t allow it. When they grow up they will walk around with their friends and they will be swearing. So you know this is not changing anything,” the triple world champion said.

Verstappen was then summoned to the stewards.

The FIA officials, including former F1 driver Johnny Herbert, found that Verstappen had used language that was “coarse, rude or may cause offense”, and sentenced Verstappen to “accomplish some work of public interest” as a penalty.

In the statement, the stewards said Verstappen apologized and explained that the word he used was “ordinary” for him and not his “native language”.

“While the stewards accept that this may be true, it is important for role models to learn to be mindful when speaking in public forums, in particular when not under any particular pressure,” the FIA added.

After Friday practice, F1TV asked Verstappen about the penalty and declared “I have no words for it” before walking away.

He was then asked by De Telegraaf newspaper correspondent Erik van Haren, and repeated: “It might be better if I don’t say anything about it. Anything I say about it doesn’t even deserve the attention.

“I think it’s all bizarre,” said the 26-year-old.

Another reporter pointed out that Kevin Magnussen had also sworn whilst talking to the media on Thursday: “He didn’t say it in the press conference, that’s apparently the difference,” Verstappen shrugged.

“So apparently we can swear here,” he laughed. “Next time, don’t ask me anything in the press conference and then we can say what happened here.”

When asked if he thinks the FIA’s penalty is personal, Verstappen continued: “I don’t concern myself with that, and I don’t want to waste my energy on it either. But when they told me, I was quite surprised.

“Apparently I have to attend something, perhaps with a laptop. A conference or something,” said the Dutchman.

The man most famous for turning the airwaves blue in Formula 1 is Gunther Steiner, with his F-words proving a popular hit in the official Netflix series Drive To Survive.

The former Haas boss was asked about the swearing controversy in Singapore by Bild newspaper, and he said: “I think there are more important things for the FIA to improve than banning swear words and body jewelry.”

When asked about the penalty, Steiner answered: “No, that is excessive.”