Ferrari Formula 1 racer Charles Leclerc has been penalized for using profanity during the post-Mexican Grand Prix press conference, but he has managed to escape the community service sentence imposed on Max Verstappen for the same violation.
Leclerc uttered “f***” while responding to a question about his thoughts when he nearly crashed his Ferrari at the last corner in Mexico.
In Brazil on Thursday, Verstappen implied that Leclerc had escaped punishment, stating that the FIA’s crackdown on swearing “only applies to me.” However, Leclerc was called to meet with the Brazilian GP stewards on Friday.
The stewards determined that Leclerc had violated Article 12.2.1 k) of the FIA’s International Sporting Code, similar to Verstappen.
“The FIA aims to ensure that language used in public forums, like press conferences, adheres to generally accepted standards for all audiences and broadcasts,” the stewards stated.
“This applies particularly to comments made by participants in world championships, who serve as role models both within and outside the sport. This is explicitly stated in FIA regulations and has been reinforced by previous cases in F1.”
The stewards reviewed the transcript of the post-race drivers’ press conference in Mexico and found that Leclerc used inappropriate language in response to a somewhat leading question about his thoughts during a critical moment in the race when he struggled to control his car at the last corner.
In response, Leclerc expressed the exact thoughts he had at the moment using coarse language. He quickly recognized his mistake and apologized.
“This language is deemed unsuitable for broadcast.”
The FIA’s ISC categorizes this as ‘misconduct.’
Leclerc immediately apologized during the press conference, saying, “Oh, sorry!” and added, “Oh, no, oh no! I don’t want to join Max!” He later expressed regret for his momentary lapse in judgment during his meeting with the stewards.
Leclerc acknowledged his role as a role model in F1, and the stewards considered his prompt apology as a mitigating factor.
As a result, the stewards decided that Leclerc’s infraction did not reach the same severity as the most recent case, imposing a fine of €10,000, with €5,000 suspended for a year pending no further violations.
The “most recent case” referred to was Verstappen receiving a community service order for swearing during the pre-event press conference at the Singapore GP.
While Verstappen apologized during his hearing, he did not immediately do so in the press conference, where he referred to his RB20 in Baku as “f***ed.”