F1 drivers given clarification about swearing in “quite fair” Australia FIA discussion

Formula 1 drivers have been given further clarification by the FIA on the recent tightening of rules surrounding inappropriate language, following concerns triggered by the wording of the initial guidance.

Tensions around the issue escalated further after Hyundai World Rally Championship driver Adrien Fourmaux was fined €10,000 – with an additional €20,000 suspended – for using inappropriate language during a live TV interview at Rally Sweden.

The incident prompted a backlash within the rallying community and has led to an ongoing protest by WRC drivers, who have refused to speak to TV crews post-stage or are conducting interviews only in their native languages.

Ahead of the 2025 season, the FIA introduced new regulations outlining penalties for the use of inappropriate language. According to the updated Article 12 of the FIA International Sporting Code, a first offence would result in a €40,000 fine. A second offence would carry an €80,000 fine along with a one-month suspension, while a third offence would lead to a €120,000 fine, a further one-month suspension, and a deduction of championship points.

While the FIA’s approach is understood to be consistent across championships – allowing emotional language in the car if not offensive, and prohibiting swearing during interviews – the key difference appears to lie in how the rules were communicated to competitors.

In F1, the matter was addressed during the usual Friday drivers’ briefing ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, where Garry Connelly – who served as the chairman of the stewards – spoke to the group to explain how the guidelines will be interpreted going forward.

Autosport understands that Connelly presented two key scenarios to the drivers. In the first, concerning in-car communication between drivers and their teams, the FIA clarified that it will tolerate strong language used in the heat of the moment – as long as it is not offensive to others, including race officials or fellow competitors.

However, the second scenario – concerning media obligations – was treated differently. If foul language is used during interviews, such as in the TV pen, press conferences or written media sessions, it will be considered a breach of the regulations and reported to the stewards by race direction.

It is understood that several drivers raised follow-up questions during the meeting, asking for examples from the past and clarifications on how certain situations would be interpreted. The overall conclusion was that the group left relatively satisfied, with the rules now considered clearer.

Haas driver Esteban Ocon, speaking in Shanghai this weekend, said: “The FIA, the stewards, they came and basically specified on what was allowed, what was not allowed, and I think, honestly, it was a quite fair discussion that we had, very open.

“The FIA are not there to punish us for no reason, so if in the heat of the moment some bad words come between engineering and ourselves, that would be OK, basically.

“That’s what they said. But obviously if you insult someone, that’s a different case, but that’s normal. We have to behave, we are on air all the time, [it’s] live TV.

“It’s important for us to be [role] models for the younger generation. But from what we had in Melbourne, the discussion, I think we were all quite scared before – I think now it’s quite clear and I think it’s quite fair, the discussion we had.

“I don’t know what the World Rally [Championship] guys had. Probably very different answers to their questions, and that’s probably why they’re not happy. But on our side, in Formula 1, I think it’s much more clear now and quite fair.”

Carlos Sainz, who recently replaced Sebastian Vettel as director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, praised Connelly’s approach and agreed that the rules are now “very clear”.

“I think Garry was incredibly helpful in trying to explain to us the way the FIA was going to approach the situation,” he said, “and I really appreciate common sense and, this time, I must say common sense prevailed. And for me, it was very clear, very understandable, and we can hopefully move on from that.”

The difference with the WRC appears to be that the drivers may feel that the rules have not yet been explained to them as clearly as to their Formula 1 counterparts. There is also a belief within the rallying community that their circumstances are different, as post-stage interviews are often conducted with the drivers still in the car, shortly after the completion of a stage.