FIA Might Ease Up On Its Controversial F1 Swearing Rules
Could the FIA possibly say "f*ck it" and ditch its much-hated swearing rule governing F1, WRC, WEC, and several other major championships? The post FIA Might Ease Up On Its Controversial F1 Swearing Rules appeared first on The Drive.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem announced Monday afternoon that he’s “considering making improvements” to the organization’s controversial anti-swear law enacted for the 2025 season, which has resulted in several racing drivers across various championships being slammed with hefty fines.
“Following constructive feedback from drivers across our seven FIA World Championships, I am considering making improvements to Appendix B,” Ben Sulayem’s announcement reads. “As a former rally driver, I understand the demands they face better than most. Appendix B is a key part of the International Sporting Code and is central in helping keep the sport accessible for all of our sporting family. Humans make the rules, and humans can improve the rules. The principle of continuous improvement is something I have always believed in and is at the heart of all we do at the FIA.”
The rule has caused headlines since it was announced back in 2024, with the Formula 1 Grand Prix Drivers’ Association first voicing their displeasure. “Our members are adults, they do not need to be given instructions via the media about matters as trivial as the wearing of jewellery and underpants,” said the GPDA via its president at the time, George Russell.
Even four-time F1 champ Max Verstappen was put in timeout at the end of the 2024 season, when he was forced to serve a day of community service in Rwanda for saying the word “fucked” over the radio after the Singapore race. Had the Appendix B rule been enacted at the time, he would’ve been given a monetary fine.
As referenced by Ben Sulayem’s message, rally drivers haven’t been so lucky, per se. Hyundai WRC star Adrien Fourmaux was slammed with a 10,000 euro fine in February, after saying he had “fucked up” after not buckling his helmet correctly. However, this penalty was later escalated to 20,000 euro.
It’s unclear what “improvements” Ben Sulayem has in mind, but this entire announcement reeks of self-promotion. For starters, his reference about humans making the rules but also improving the rules tracks with his dictator-like approach to his FIA presidency. As we’ve seen numerous times, Ben Sulayem enjoys the spotlight, and he appears to be painting himself as a fixer to this controversial rule, even though he’s the one who caused the controversy to begin with. And don’t even get me started on the photo of a young Ben Sulayem used as background to the FIA announcement. Everyone knows he was a racing driver many years ago, yet he loves to remind everyone about it every chance he gets. He desperately wants to be seen as one of “the boys.”
Furthermore, it’s unclear when Ben Sulayem and the FIA will announce these improvements or when they’ll go into effect.
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The post FIA Might Ease Up On Its Controversial F1 Swearing Rules appeared first on The Drive.
