Charles Leclerc has been summoned by the FIA stewards on the Brazilian Grand Prix for swearing within the post-race press convention in Mexico final weekend.
The Monegasque swore when describing his late-race second within the Mexico Metropolis race, the place he ran large on the remaining nook as he fought laborious with Lando Norris.
“I had one oversteer after which after I recovered from that oversteer, I had an oversteer from the opposite facet after which I used to be like, ‘f***’,” he mentioned.
Rapidly realising that using swear phrases in press conferences is now frowned upon after Max Verstappen was punished for cursing in Singapore, Leclerc instantly apologised.
“Oh, sorry! Oh no, I do not need to be part of Max,” Leclerc mentioned.
Leclerc was seen in dialog with an FIA official after the press convention, and it’s understood a word was despatched to the race stewards earlier this week advising them of a possible guidelines breach.
With the stewards in Brazil solely convening correctly on Friday morning, it took them till shortly after the beginning of dash qualifying to react to that word and resolve that the matter did want a correct listening to.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24
Picture by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Pictures
They acknowledged that Leclerc was being referred to as up for an “alleged breach of Article 12.2.1.okay of the Worldwide Sporting Code – Language through the Mexico FIA Publish Race Press Convention.”
Leclerc’s summons got here after Verstappen, who has been punished with a day of group service for his swearing, expressed some shock in Brazil for his Ferrari rival not being questioned by the FIA.
“Apparently, it solely counts for me anyway, as a result of after the race in Mexico, somebody was swearing. I did not hear something from it,’ he mentioned.
“It is bizarre. Really what he says is worse than what I mentioned within the context, and it was a way more necessary press convention with extra individuals watching.”
The hardline stance from the FIA on swearing got here within the wake of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem expressing his displeasure on the language of drivers in F1.
Talking to Motorsport.com, he mentioned: “I do know, I used to be a driver. Within the warmth of the second, whenever you suppose you might be upset as a result of one other driver got here to you and pushed you…after I used to drive within the mud [and something like that happened], I might get upset.
“But additionally, now we have to watch out with our conduct. We must be accountable individuals and now with know-how, every thing goes dwell and every thing goes to be recorded. On the finish of the day, now we have to review that to see: can we minimise what’s being mentioned publicly?”
