FIA swearing row takes FRESH twist as official statement issued

The swearing row between the FIA and the various motorsport series that they govern has been handed a fresh twist ahead of the Formula 1 2025 season opener on March 16.

With less than three weeks to go until the Australian Grand Prix, drivers and their teams are ramping up preparations for the new campaign, with the stars of the sport heading to Bahrain this week for pre-season testing.

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Despite the sport having been on a break since early December, debate has rumbled on over the FIA's new regulations for the upcoming season over punishments and fines for inappropriate language used by F1 drivers.

In January, the FIA announced new guidelines which could see drivers receive points deductions or, in more severe cases, a possible race ban for various misconduct violations.

The news came following the conclusion of the 2024 F1 season which saw the debate erupt at the Singapore GP when reigning champion Max Verstappen was handed a community service-style punishment for swearing in an FIA press conference and protested by holding his own talks with media instead.

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WRC drivers highlight issues over FIA president comments

Since the announcement of the FIA's new regulations over misconduct in F1, there has been no opportunity to see how the sport's governing body would react to any future incidents given that the new season is yet to begin.

In WRC however, the new measures came into effect at Rally Sweden earlier this month when driver Adrien Fourmaux was fined €10,000 and hit with a suspended €20,000 fine for using 'inappropriate language' during a TV interview.

Referring to a stage 11 incident, the French racer said ‘we f***ed up yesterday', with a stewards report stating this example as the reason for the fine.

The incident followed Ben Sulayem's comments reflecting on his own experience racing in rallies, citing 'discipline' as an important factor of being a driver.

Speaking at an officials summit in Madrid, the FIA president said: "Our riders are ambassadors and send a good message for our sport and federation. I don't know why there is so much fuss, it is a discipline, it has been discussed, it has been approved by the world council, we have a voting democracy.

"Do we go ahead and then turn off the radios? Maybe. Do we delay them? Maybe. There are many things that we will work on now with our promoter, the FIA ​​promoter, we are still the owners of the championship."

Following Fourmaux's controversial fine, WRC drivers and co-drivers have taken a leaf out of the GPDA's book, issuing a similar joint statement from the World Rally Drivers Alliance (WoRDA), calling out Ben Sulayem and urging him to find an 'urgent solution' to the issue.

The group cited the intense racing conditions of WRC, stating that whilst the WoRDA were not questioning the referee's decision, they wanted to highlight the severity of the fines and their increased frequency in the sport, with many not satisfied at the lack of transparency over where the money goes.

The statement read: "The exorbitant fines are vastly disproportionate to the average income and budget in rallying.

"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.

"We call for a direct communication and engagement between the FIA President and WoRDA members to find a mutually agreeable and urgent solution."

Last month, Nikolas Tombazis, head of single-seater racing at the FIA, released an official statement over the body's use of fines, saying: "All the money is spent on what is considered to be beneficial aspects, whether it is for safety, for grassroots in motorsport, or sometimes other projects which are to do with road safety."

WRC crews statement! Please read and share‼️🙏🏼 #worda pic.twitter.com/KfrjWyQQbw

— Jonne Halttunen (@JonneHalttunen) February 24, 2025

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