FIA means business over swearing, non F1 driver gets hefty fine for expletive

[John S]

Seems FIA will be following through on swearing & cussing ban. Rally driver fined €30,000 for swear word on live TV at Rally Sweden.

Looks like F1 drivers & team personnel have been put on Notice ahead of new season.

Lucky really that Gunther is no longer in the pit lane, he could single handedly bankrupt Haas in no time. 

https://racingnews365.com/first-driver-punished-under-strict-new-fia-rules

[Jericoke]

I'm a mom.  I get that we don't want the sport to be a foul mouthed cess pool.

However it's live sports, emotions run high, and there are a lot of people who aren't speaking in their native language, and may have picked up a colourful version of English or Italian (or whatever).  With the radio broadcasts being delayed and censored, I feel like the sport is doing fine.  Even the press conferences, do they go out live?  I don't think a 5 second delay to allow censorship is a big issue.

[Andy B]

I hope more sports go the same way as the use of foul language is not needed these guy's influence many youngsters, not just by race drivers, and if the likes of the FIA do nothing they are then condoning it.
Do my son's swear? I expect so but not in front of me or their Mother, Do I swear? Now and again but usually when I am doing something on my own and nobody is there.
If you listen to some conversations every other word is a swear word, its not necessary in my opinion.
You may feel different?

[John S]

Amen to your good sense Andy, for far too long we've been seeing a tolerance of sliding standards, anyway broadcasters have a duty to prevent profanities - well certainly before the so called watershed of 9pm in Britain- so they should be onside with this tightening of the existing rules.

I remember a time as father to young kids when the adoption of words like "Sausages!" or even the immortal "Jesus Christ!" was necessary if I needed to cuss in the heat of the moment.
Striking a thumb with hammer springs to mind.   

Maybe to help out we could make a thread of alternatives to profane cussing terms in various languages, countries or regions. 

 

[rmassart]

Whilst I agree there are too many conversations where every second word seems to be an expletive, I don't think fining drivers for swearing in their workplace is correct. These are private conversations which we are allowed to listen in to. Just bleep them out or don't broadcast the message (which would lead to the interesting situation of swearing in order to keep the message private).

I don't think it's F1s job to change society and we should stop pretending it can. F1 is increasingly racing in brutal (by western standards) authoritarian regimes and they are worried about swearing, whilst normalising places with very questionable regimes, so people don't feel bad about visiting them on their holidays.

As for swearing, this is just a continuation of the increasing lack of respect for others. I don't know where it will lead, but I was glad that I recently heard someone got fined in France for watching TikTok or whatever on full volume on their phone whilst on a train. You see this behaviour all the time nowadays. Since when did that become normal - and to be clear it's more likely to be a 50 something than teenager in my experience.

[Robem64]

For me Gordon Ramsay summed it up best at the F1 Launch

https://www.tiktok.com/@f1/video/7472886083630550294

[Andy B]

For me Gordon Ramsay summed it up best at the F1 Launch

https://www.tiktok.com/@f1/video/7472886083630550294

MV was in a press conference though which was not doing 200 mph!
GR was never going to say anything different!
They should have asked GS too.