Toto Wolff calls for ‘civilised’ resolution to Max Verstappen FIA swearing debate

Having been hauled in front of the FIA stewards himself for swearing, Toto Wolff says F1 could be “more civilised” but he still wants “raw moments” on the track.

Formula 1 is in the midst of a swearing saga after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem issued a crackdown on swearing and warned the drivers they could face penalties if they swore over team radio.

Toto Wolff: But if we can dim it down a little bit…

Stating that while he understood that drivers were “in the heat of the moment”, he added: “We have to be careful with our conduct. We need to be responsible people.”

And then Max Verstappen swore in a press conference, using the word “f—ed” during the Thursday driver press conference at the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver was found guilty by the FIA stewards of breaching the International Sporting Code and they ordered him to “accomplish some work of public interest” as a penalty.

Verstappen staged a protest during his next FIA press conference as he gave very brief answers, before telling journalists “I would prefer if you ask these questions outside the room.”

Verstappen isn’t the first person to be hauled before the stewards for swearing with Wolff and Fred Vasseur handed official warnings when they dropped the F-word during the Friday team boss press conference in Las Vegas last year.

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But while the Mercedes team boss agrees sweary radio rants should be shut down, he doesn’t want the drivers’ emotions and personalities squashed.

“I was at the stewards last year after Las Vegas and it was quite an enjoyable experience,” he joked to the media in Singapore. “Fred and I were there at the same time. He was a bit more worried.

“I said to them it was the first time since school that I was called to the headmaster, and I promise you it is going to be the last time.

“Having said that, I think there is an argument that big swearing and being rude on the radio is not something that should happen. If it is so bad it is disrespectful, towards the other side of the line, there are people at home watching it, the family of the people that you know.

“The F-word is common language now but it is always the context that makes it. We want to have emotions, we want to have raw moments and we understand that the drivers are in a state of extremes.

“But if we can dim it down a little bit I think that is good for all of us, but I wouldn’t necessarily ban the F-word because I think there is worse than that.”

He added: “I don’t think anybody listens to the FIA press conference anyway. I mean, but it’s not written about or really. So I think there is, am I wrong saying that?

“I think there’s not a big audience. We are the group. We are all part of the travelling circus, we know each other and I don’t think that using the effort in a press conference is the worst thing.

“But OK if we need to adapt, all of us adapt our language, including team principals then we will look at it more. It is more civilised like this.”

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