Max Verstappen faces 'shocking' punishment for calling his car 'Fu****g weird'

Max Verstappen, the three-time Formula 1 champion, has been handed an unusual punishment by the FIA following his use of inappropriate language during a press conference. The Dutch driver, known for his fiery and direct personality, was ordered to undertake "work of public interest" after swearing while discussing his car's performance during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in a recent FIA official press conference.

The incident occurred when Verstappen used the f-word to express frustration with his Red Bull after the team made adjustments to the car following final practice. His outburst came in response to a question about the changes, a move that caught the attention of the Singapore Grand Prix stewards.

Verstappen’s language became an issue just hours after FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem had urged drivers to be more careful with their choice of words over the team radios during races. The tension surrounding drivers’ language reached its peak when Tom Clarkson, host of the press conference, reminded Verstappen to be mindful of his speech, prompting Verstappen to respond sarcastically, "What are we? Five-year-olds? Six-year-olds?"

Stewards found Max Verstappen ‘rude’!

In their report, the stewards emphasized that language used by participants in public settings, such as press conferences, must meet standards that are suitable for all audiences. “In particular this is true of statements made by participants in the World Championships and thus being role models both inside and outside the sport”, says the FIA statement.

"The stewards reviewed the transcript of the FIA Thursday driver press conference in Singapore and Max Verstappen, driver of car 1, used language to describe his car at the event in Azerbaijan which is generally considered “coarse, rude” or may “cause offence” and is not considered suitable for broadcast.”

What did Max Verstappen say in his defence?

When summoned by the FIA stewards Verstappen urged that English is not his native language. Nevertheless, the stewards underscored the importance of public figures, particularly in the global stage of F1, being mindful of their language.

Given that this was not the first time such behaviour had been addressed, the stewards opted for a stronger penalty than usual. Instead of a hefty fine, Verstappen was ordered to carry out “public interest work” as a consequence of his actions. This decision reflects the FIA’s intent to maintain decorum in the sport and ensure that drivers uphold their responsibilities as role models.