FIA announces major F1 rule change before Imola GP after complaints from drivers

Daily Mirror

14-05-2025

Up to now, F1 drivers had been at risk of massive fines, race bans and even the docking of World Championship points for multiple offences of swearing under controversial FIA guidelines
Formula 1 drivers are no longer at risk of triggering a race ban by swearing. That is the result of revisions made to the FIA sporting code ahead of this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix which show a softened stance on the issue from the governing body.
The FIA caused uproar before the current F1 season began when it introduced much stricter rules around swearing. They applied to every driver and team principal and gave the stewards the power to levy massive fines and potential sporting punishments for anyone using foul language.
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But it was a step too far in the eyes of many, including the drivers. And the same was true in another major FIA-sanctioned sport, the World Rally Championship, where racer Adrien Fourmaux became the first to fall victim to the tougher guidelines.
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His punishment for saying he had "f***ed up" in a post-stage interview was an £8,400 fine. And that sparked a mass protest from many drivers in the WRC who declined to give any proper stage-end interviews at the following Rally.
Though no F1 driver has fallen foul of the rule so far this year, the jeopardy for them was much greater. As F1 is deemed to be a higher-level championship, monetary fines were quadrupled meaning a driver faced a whopping £33,700 fine for a first offence.
And that was just the tip of the iceberg. Multiple swearing offences – the use of foul language in an interview is now deemed to be akin to 'misconduct' in the eyes of the FIA – could bring about even more significant fines and the potential for a one-race ban, while the stewards also had the power to dock championship points.
But some of those things will no longer be the case going forward. After a wave of complaints from drivers and teams, the FIA published a new version of the penalty guidelines on Wednesday which means a race ban is no longer on the table.
And the fines that can be handed out have also been reduced significantly. A first swearing offence will now see a driver forced to pay £4,200 to the governing body, while the multiplier which quadrupled that figure for F1 drivers has also been removed.
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It has now also been formalised that the setting will now be taken into account. There was nothing in the initial guidelines which specified when a driver could or could not swear without facing a punishment, though there has been plenty of precedent set on that front.
For example, one of the requests when the guidelines were introduced was that drivers not be punished for swearing while behind the wheel, given the high-pressure environment they are in while driving. And despite many instances of foul language being used by drivers up and down the grid, none have been punished.
But, now, it has been made clear that swearing in "controlled" environments carries a much greater risk of being penalised compared to any cursing while in competition. However, the revised document still makes it clear that swearing is still punishable, and that "very serious offences" can still carry "more severe penalties".
In a press release, the FIA described the changes to the guidelines as "major improvements". President Mohammed ben Sulayem, who himself publicly denounced drivers for their use of bad language, said: "I have led an extensive and collaborative review with contributions from across the seven FIA World Championships, FIA Member Clubs and other motor sports organisations.
"The improvements the FIA has announced today to Appendix B will ensure we continue to promote the best of sportsmanship in motor sport, while also giving Stewards effective guidelines to act against individuals who may bring the sport into disrepute. The FIA will always be committed to ensuring motor sport is accessible for all our sporting family."