F1 drivers 'laugh at' Max Verstappen in group chat as FIA row escalates
Max Verstappen's war of words with the FIA threatens to escalate after the Singapore Grand Prix.
The drivers on the F1 grid ‘laughed at’ Max Verstappen’s community service punishment or swearing in the FIA press conference at the Singapore Grand Prix in the driver’s WhatsApp chat. They are now pooling together to discuss the next steps.
Verstappen used a swear word during Thursday’s FIA press conference and after a trip to see the stewards, the Dutchman was ordered to do some ‘work of public interest’ as punishment. This ruling attracted significant backlash and none more so than from the three-time world champion himself.
In a protest against the FIA’s clampdown on colourful language, Verstappen gave one-word or “no comment” answers to questions in the post-qualifying press conference, before speaking to media with more elaborate responses out in the paddock.
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Offering a peek into the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) group chat’s reaction, Verstappen said: “Yeah, for sure. Of course, I wrote in the GPDA [chat] the ruling, and everyone was almost laughing like, 'What the hell is that' basically. So, yeah, it is very, very silly.”
Now, the drivers are considering their next steps and will pool together before talks with the FIA. Speaking to Formel1.de about the matter, GPDA chairman Alex Wurz said: “How many lifetime community services would Guenther Steiner have to serve for using the F-word? He was glorified for using the F-word.
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“Netflix broadcast this worldwide, no problem. But then to suddenly change like that? [The choice of words] is not my personal taste as a driver. As GPDA chairman, I have to officially say that we will, of course, discuss it internally, first reach a full consensus, and then we will consider whether and in what form we will talk to the FIA and the president.”
While talks are yet to take place, Verstappen can count on the support of former title rival Lewis Hamilton, who made his thoughts clear on the matter when discussing the punishment in the post-qualifying conference.
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“I think it’s a bit of a joke, to be honest,” explained the seven-time world champion. “This is the pinnacle of the sport, mistakes are made. I certainly wouldn’t be doing it and I hope Max doesn’t do it.”
This drama comes after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem called for a crackdown on the use of drivers’ use of offensive language. The Emirati official likened swearing racers to “rappers”, in a comparison that Hamilton called out for having a “racial element”.
