Leclerc on FIA Profanity Debate: “It’s Very Hard to Control This at 300 km/h”
Charles Leclerc agrees with reducing the amount of profanity used but questions the significance of the issue.
Last month, Mohammed Ben Sulayem found himself at the center of another controversy. The FIA president stated that drivers should reduce their use of profanity during races, which prompted reactions from two major drivers. Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton acknowledged the discussion but commented that there were “racial undertones” in Ben Sulayem’s statement.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen, who received a public service penalty for swearing during a press conference, remained nearly silent on the matter. He preferred to give journalists the shortest answers possible during the official press conferences in Singapore but held his own impromptu conference outside the building.
The reigning world champion even questioned his future in the sport following his conflicts with the FIA on this issue. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, in his remarks, questioned the FIA’s priorities: “I think the FIA should have other priorities.”
“Ultimately, we are adults, and we are one of the only sports where we hear drivers talking during a race. My request to the FIA is to remove some of our bad words and not broadcast them so much. It’s quite an easy thing to do. When we’re driving at 300 km/h between barriers on a street circuit, it’s quite hard for us to control our words.”
