Formula 1’s profanity saga

Ben Sulayem has previously made clear his displeasure at drivers cussing over the team radio. As a Muslim, his comments are valid as under Islamic law swearing is considered immoral, and has no place in its society.

In the build-up to the event at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Ben Sulayem underlined his stance on the subject, insisting drivers had "to be responsible people."

“Imagine you are sitting with your children and watching the race and then someone is saying all of this dirty language," he said. "I mean, what would your children or grandchildren say? What would you teach them if that is your sport?”

It is an understandable point, and many parents around the world would agree with him.

Now, be it by design or just an everyday slip of the tongue in Verstappen's world, the Red Bull driver used the f-word to describe how his RB20 had felt during qualifying a few days previously in Azerbaijan in the official FIA drivers' press conference.

After being reminded to "mind his language" by host Tom Clarkson, Verstappen was later asked for his thoughts on the use of profanity, and if Ben Sulayem had a point, or whether, in general, we were all 'being a bit too sensitive'.

Verstappen made the differentiation between swear words being used in general conversation and to abuse, the latter being totally unacceptable. Similarly, F1 drivers are miked up with their comments aired when they are often under extreme stress during a grand prix, yet footballers avoid such an intrusion during a game though would almost certainly be heard cursing if the technology was permitted.

Again referring to his car using the f-word to highlight his point, Verstappen added: "Excuse me for the language but come on, what are we? Five-year-olds? Six-year-olds?

"Even if a five-year-old or six-year-old is watching, they will eventually swear anyway even if their parents will not allow it. When they grow up they will walk around with their friends and they will be swearing. So this is not changing anything."

To add to the melting pot of the growing situation, unfortunately for Ben Sulayem, he had pushed the envelope with his remarks, claiming that motorsport, in general, should differentiate itself from "rap music."

“We're not rappers," he declared. "They say the f-word how many times per minute? We are not on that. That's them and we are [us].”

They were ill-thought-out words, and Lewis Hamilton was far from pleased, suggesting that within Ben Sulayem's comments, he was being "stereotypical" and there was "a racial element."

That all seemed incendiary enough until the following day when the FIA charged Verstappen with swearing, swiftly delivering a surprising verdict as he was ordered to "accomplish some work of public interest," effectively F1's version of community service.

I say 'surprising' because ten months previously, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff and Ferrari counterpart Fred Vasseur had both used the f-word during an FIA official press conference, yet were only handed a formal warning.

It was clear the FIA had opted to make an example of Verstappen, or, as one insider put it, 'you act like a child, you'll be treated like a child'.

It was not until Saturday evening, though, that the story then took another twist, remarkably based on the performance of the seemingly ailing RB20 that was so far off the pace in Friday practice. Red Bull threatened a repeat of its shocking form a year previously at the circuit when neither Verstappen nor team-mate Sergio Perez qualified for Q3.

Yet Verstappen, somehow, managed to secure second on the grid behind McLaren's Lando Norris, and another turn in the official FIA post-qualifying press conference followed.

What unfolded was utterly remarkable as Verstappen took it upon himself to stage a protest, of sorts, delivering curt, perfunctory answers to the questions posed, and instead offering to stage an impromptu session afterwards with the assembled written media.

Hamilton, who had finished third in qualifying, added fuel to the fire that was now beginning to rage by describing Verstappen's punishment as "a joke," even urging his bitter rival to boycott whatever the FIA had in mind for him.  

Once talking outside the press conference room, Verstappen additionally remarked that what had happened was "ridiculous," and that the FIA wanted "to set a precedent" and "make a bigger example" of him.

With Verstappen at least responding in the official session, albeit not in the way he would ordinarily have done, on this occasion the FIA was powerless to follow up and chastise F1's star driver further.

It was a similar situation post-race after Verstappen had again finished second to Norris. His replies were slightly more expansive compared to 24 hours previously, but not by much, and he again chose to speak more freely once he had returned to Red Bull's paddock building.

It was during that briefing that Verstappen, and not for the first time of late, stated that such a furore could hasten his departure from F1. "These kinds of things definitely decide my future," he said.

Verstappen has made it clear he is not one for chasing records, and that he does not see himself continuing for years to come, like Hamilton or Fernando Alonso.

He has previously aired his disenchantment with what he sees as the dilution of the sport in its purest form with the addition of the sprint race weekends.

As he pointed out post-Singapore, if he is unable to be himself, to express himself as he wishes, and he is made to become robotic, then his current deal with Red Bull, which runs until 2028, could be his last. Even if he moved to another team in 2026 for two or three years, then unless things change, he could easily walk away after that.

Verstappen is not known for his flippancy, so it would be foolish to dismiss his remarks as a form of kidology to further wind up the FIA and Ben Sulayem.

And whatever your stance on the use and broadcasting of profanity, should further incidents such as those in Singapore continue, and Verstappen does leave a few years down the line, F1 would be poorer for it.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.