Reigning world champion Max Verstappen is once again facing disciplinary consequences for his language.
During Thursday's FIA press conference in Singapore, Max Verstappen expressed himself in a way that has now attracted the attention of motorsport authorities.
His comments, made in connection with his assessment of the car's performance in Azerbaijan earlier this year, were subsequently rated as "standing" by the FIA.
It is not the first time that Verstappen has faced consequences for his statements and it now appears that another penalty is on the horizon.
The FIA has subsequently announced that Verstappen's use of "inappropriate language" breaches the federation's policy, which requires that all public language in relation to motorsport must be able to be broadcast to a wide audience without offending anyone.
According to the FIA, it is important that the sport maintains a level suitable for a global platform. Based on this assessment, Max Verstappen will likely be required to do community service.
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For Max Verstappen, it is not the first time that he has faced this kind of punishment. Back in 2019, he was also 'imposed' for community service after a physical confrontation with Esteban Ocon, then short for the former Force India, in the pit.
The episode took place after a collision during the Brazilian Grand Prix, where Verstappen reacted to Ocon with great frustration. At that time, he had to carry out a number of tasks as punishment, which could be repeated in this case.
However, it is not only the FIA that has reacted to the statements. The original comment that set things off came when Verstappen was asked about the differences between him and his teammate, Sergio Perez.
In his response, he referred to the setup of the car not working for him and made a comment that some found inappropriate.
– I don't know, man. Different set-up. So as soon as I went into qualifying, I knew the car was stupid, said Max Verstappen, according to Motorsport.com.
This comment has given rise to further criticism from the FIA, which emphasizes that language like this should not take place in an official context.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has previously expressed his stance on profanity in motorsport.
In an earlier statement to the Associated Press, he commented that there is a need to separate motorsport from other areas such as the music industry, where similar language often occurs. He noted in this context that:
– We need to distinguish between sport, motorsport and hip-hop music, it says.
However, the statement by Ben Sulayem drew criticism from several quarters, including Lewis Hamilton, who accused the president of making "stereotypical" statements about hip-hop culture. Hamilton went further, suggesting there was an "underlying racist tone" to the comment.
Although Max Verstappen has not yet received a final punishment, it is estimated that some form of community service will be the most likely outcome.
Verstappen's repeated breach of the FIA's guidelines for public statements means that the case is now closely followed by both media and fans. However, the FIA has not yet announced anything official about when a final decision will be made.
It is not the first time that the Formula 1 choirs have been told that there is something they are not allowed to do. Previously, Lewis Hamilton's actions were the cause of an outright ban. Read more about it here .
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