We are not five-years old, claims Verstappen after his punishment for using bad language
Having received a punishment for swearing in a pre-event press conference in Singapore, reigning world champion Max Verstappen insists that Formula 1 should not air team radio if the sport is concerned about bad language.
The Dutch racer was due to attend FIA's press conference that usually takes place on Thursday ahead of the race weekend. The reigning champion used bad language for which he was summoned to the stewards.
The incident happened after Verstappen was asked to reflect on the performance of his car, describing his car’s setup at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix as “f—ed”.
After the stewards reviewed the audio transcript and heard from the driver and Red Bull team representatives, they have elected to punish Verstappen for swearing in the pre-event press conference, with the Red Bull driver now obliged “to accomplish some work of public interest”.
Reflecting on the punishment, Verstappen expressed his disagreement with the decision, claiming that while any form of abuse is a serious matter, swearing belongs to everyday life.
"I mean, it's not even that bad, right? I mean, the car was not working. The car is f’d [f****d]. And then, excuse me for the language. Like, come on. What are we? Five-year-olds, six-year-olds? Even if a five-year-old or six-year-old that is watching, they will eventually swear anyway.
"Even if the parents won't, or they will not allow it, when they grow up, they will walk around with their friends, and they will be swearing. So, you know, this is not changing anything."
"I think you will swear anyway. If it's not in this room, maybe somewhere else, everyone swears. Some people a bit more than others, it also depends a bit what language you speak. Of course, abuse is something else, but I think a lot of things get broadcasted nowadays, where in other sports, you don't run around with a mic attached to you. I think a lot of people say a lot of bad things when they are full of adrenaline. In other sports, it just doesn't get picked up."
Verstappen thinks that the sport could easily address the issue by introducing delays or using censoring tools in broadcasts.
"We're here probably for entertainment purposes. Things get sent out, and that's why people can pick up on it, discuss it on social media, and you get all sorts of trouble. I think it already just starts with not broadcasting it. I mean, if you don't broadcast it, no one will know, only the team. But with that, you deal internally with these kind of things. It's just probably the world that we live in."
"Within the sport, but also in general, it seems like people are a bit more sensitive to stuff. That’s how it goes. I mean, I guess the world is changing a bit, but I think it already just starts with not broadcasting it or not giving the option for people to hear it in general.
"Of course, there are a lot of apps where people can listen to radios and stuff. You have to probably limit it or have a bit of a delay that you can censor out a few things. That will help a lot more than putting bans on drivers."
