Max Verstappen Leads the Campaign Against the FIA
The current three-time Formula One World Champion Red Bull driver Max Verstappen took a vow of silence in the FIA post-race interview following the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix drawing many questions from media outlets and possibly even a punishment from the FIA for his actions. Verstappen in an act of defiance and protest told media personnel that he would not be answering questions in that meeting and would instead choose to speak in the halls and less formal areas outside of the venue. This has all stemmed from the FIA’s new regulations on drivers’ freedom of speech during races in which drivers are now not allowed to curse over their radios. Verstappen was the first to be punished following a vulgar comment about his car in a cool-down interview and will have to complete “some work of public interest.”
This is not the first time FIA President Ben Sulayem has clamped down on drivers' freedoms, as he previously criticized Lewis Hamilton for wearing jewelry during races. Hamilton stood by Verstappen in the protest of the new swearing ban after Sulayem stated that Formula One must differentiate itself from rap music in which Hamilton felt Sulayem had racial bias in the comment. Sulayem has also discouraged drivers from talking about religious and political viewpoints during Formula One events. Perhaps the greatest argument came from former Formula One driver and four-time Formula One World Champion Sebastian Vettel who likened the driver’s vulgar language to that of soccer stars on the field. He claimed that top athletes curse all the time and only aren’t brought to light like Formula One drivers as they don’t speak through a radio that is broadcast to the public the entire time they are competing.
At the end of the day, these are top-level athletes moving around a circuit at speeds exceeding 200 miles an hour under g-forces most people could not withstand all while competing with 19 of the other best drivers in the world. It is an extremely stressful and chaotic environment, with most drivers still in their 20s. These athletes have every right to express themselves during a race even while fans can tune in to any driver’s comms. There is a separate kids broadcast of Formula One that can be censored allowing for the younger audience to maintain some innocence a bit longer if parents and Ben Sulayem have that much of an issue with image. It will be interesting to see if the drivers make any changes to their language in the upcoming 2024 United States Grand Prix in Texas.
