Drivers protest against FIA swearing ban with race boycott

Drivers currently competing in an FIA racing series have protested over the governing body's approach to punishments for using X-rated language.

The FIA governs multiple racing series, including Formula 1, WRC, WEC and Formula E, and following a run of controversial decisions throughout the 2024 F1 season, their approach to swearing has now led to a boycott from competitors in the World Rally Championship.

Last season, reigning F1 champion Max Verstappen was handed a community service-style punishment for swearing during an FIA press conference, triggering a debate that spanned across multiple racing series over whether drivers should be more mindful of using 'inappropriate language' or not.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem then furthered the ongoing debate by suggesting that the team radio of F1 drivers should no longer be broadcast to prevent the use of swearing from impacting race weekend coverage.

Following the 2025 season opener at the Australian Grand Prix last weekend, seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton swore over his team radio, clearly frustrated after a messy first grand prix with his new race engineer, Riccardo Adami.

The 40-year-old was not fined or noted for the slip-up, but elsewhere in the world of motorsport the swearing debate rages on.

World Rally Championship drivers in FIA protest

The 2025 WRC season kicked off in January with the iconic Rallye Monte Carlo, and last month the stars of the championship competed at Rally Sweden, where the full effect of the FIA's clampdown on language was clear.

Hyundai driver Adrien Fourmaux was fined €10,000 and hit with a suspended €20,000 fine for using 'inappropriate language' during a post-stage TV interview at the event, and the stars of the sport have since joined forces to declare where they stand on the issue.

Ahead of Safari Rally Kenya this weekend, the WRC drivers protested against the FIA's actions over swearing with a boycott in Nairobi, which saw them limit comments during stage-end interviews at the Wednesday shakedown.

Fourmaux stood by his protest of the FIA penalty handed to him in Sweden, and was among the drivers who remained silent when questioned over why they had chosen to restrict comments in stage end interviews.

Other Rally stars opted to protest by only responding in their native language.

Since the incident at Rally Sweden, the drivers and co-drivers of WRC came together to form the World Rally Drivers' Alliance (WRDA), similar to the GPDA which has been run by F1 stars, both past and present.

Ahead of the Safari Rally Kenya event, the WRDA issued a statement to the FIA over their choice to boycott Wednesday's post-stage interviews, saying: "We all agree to keep rudeness at the microphone to a minimum. At the same time, it is necessary to maintain a certain freedom of expression and to keep emotions alive while drivers don't need to be afraid of getting punished in any way.

"We have asked the president of the FIA for some positive changes in the rules to help us achieve this goal."

The group continued to explain their choice to take action against the FIA, adding: "This is why we - WoRDA members - are now taking the responsible decision to remain silent at the end of the interviews or to answer in our mother tongue.In the own interest of our sport, such an action is unfortunately needed, and we apologize to all the rally fans, even though we know they support us in this."

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