F1 Drivers Get Relief as swearing penalty reduced by 50% following backlash

Sports Other Sports

Posted by AI on 2025-05-14 23:45:18 | Last Updated by AI on 2026-02-08 03:08:15

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The FIA, motor racing's governing body, has announced that it has reduced the penalty for drivers swearing during a race by 50% following criticism from numerous drivers.- This comes after the controversial strict enforcement of rules regarding driver conduct on the track over the past year, with drivers claiming that the punishments for over-exuberant celebrations or swearing are unfair and detract from the excitement of the sport.

The original punishment for any driver who communicated any form of profanity over the team radio was a hefty 25,000 fine and two penalty points on their FIA super licence. The licence points are particularly controversial as a driver accrues 12 points over a 12-month period risks a ban from participating in any events.

The ruling was introduced in 2022 and has already been enforced several times with different drivers triggering criticism from fans and commentators who argued that the sport should be concerned with boosting audience engagement rather than censoring mild profanity on the radio.

The FIA has now reviewed the ruling in response to the backlash and decided to reduce the penalty by half, although it still hopes to stamp out any bad language.

"The stewards may also require any driver to undertake training on the use of inappropriate language during a competition event," read a statement from the FIA.

As this ruling change effectively impacts the on-track actions of the drivers, we'll see if this guideline change affects the passion and excitement flowing through the 2023 season.

Go!