Inspired by Formula 1’s Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), the drivers and co-drivers of the World Rally Championship have united to question the FIA’s anti-swearing clampdown.
The publication of the updated appendix B of the International Sporting Code that covers penalty guidelines for stewards stoked further tension between FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem and F1 drivers over the policing of swearing following 2024 flashpoints where Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc received punishments.
The update to the guidelines specified an escaping series of penalties that range from fines to one-month suspension for drivers found guilty of a third misconduct offence.
Hyundai WRC driver Adrien Fourmaux became the first driver to be punished under the new system for saying “we f***ed up yesterday” during the live television broadcast of Rally Sweden’s final stage - rally drivers face questions from TV crews and journalists within a minute of completing a rally stage.
The fines are multiplied by the seniority of the championship, F1 fines are quadrupled while WRC fines are tripled from the base $10,000 rate.
The Rally Sweden stewards elected for some leniency because of multiple mitigating factors including Fourmaux’s good previous record, the fact he was speaking his second language and his apology for the language.
That meant $20,000 of the $30,000 fine was suspended for the next 12 months meaning he won’t have to pay that portion if he avoids a repeat offence.
The WRC’s drivers and co-drivers weren’t impressed with the fine in much the same way F1 drivers responded negatively to the FIA’s penalties for Verstappen and Leclerc last year.
All 20 F1 drivers united with a joint statement in response to the swearing clampdown last November, calling for more clarity on where the fines actually go as well as a request for Ben Sulayem to “consider his own tone and language when talking about drivers”.
The WRC drivers and co-drivers have now followed suit, even referencing the GPDA as inspiration.
“The Rally Drivers and Co-drivers of WoRDA, inspired by their GPDA colleagues, join together to express their opinion, seek clarity and co-operate towards a brighter future,” their statement began.
They called it “unrealistic to expect a perfect and systematic control over emotions” immediately after a high-intensity rally stage has been completed, and expressed concerns that “non-mother-tongue speakers may use or repeat terms without full awareness of their meaning and connotation”.
They too questioned where the money from the fines actually goes and called for greater transparency as well as a plea of “the exorbitant fines are vastly disproportionate to the average income and budget in rallying”.
The WoRDA said this could give a false impression to fans that “money doesn’t matter in this industry”.
It concluded by saying “Surely the negative impressions surrounding these penalties far outweigh the impact of any language lapse.
“We call for a direct communication and engagement between the FIA president and WoRDA members to find a mutually agreeable and urgent solution.”
The statement comes ahead of F1’s pre-season test in Bahrain where the topic of swearing and fines is likely to be raised throughout the three days.
It’s already been a hot topic of pre-season so far with new GPDA director Carlos Sainz among those to speak out about the importance of protecting the raw emotion of sport.
