Max Verstappen issues clear response to FIA president after steward abuse clampdown

Max Verstappen has said there is a simple solution to cutting online abuse to FIA official – halting the broadcasting of team radio.

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem posted a statement over the summer break that tweaked the wording of the International Sporting Code, with approval of the World Motor Sport Council, to be able to clamp down on online abuse against FIA officials by adjusting what ‘misconduct’ means in the rules.

Max Verstappen gives clear response to FIA president over online abuse clampdown

Ben Sulayem said that there is a “direct link” between drivers and team personnel making “negative comments” about the FIA, and online abuse rising on race weekends, so action has been taken.

“As part of our ongoing fight against online abuse, recent investigations have shown that there is a direct link between negative comments from drivers and team members and increased hate directed towards officials on social media,” he wrote earlier this month.

“Our stewards must be prepared to show strength when combatting this form of abuse, and they have my full support, and the support of the International Sporting Code, when making their decisions.

“I urge them to show that the FIA will not allow abuse of any kind within our sport.”

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But given the ‘negative comments’ spoken of can often happen in the heat of the moment during races, Verstappen believes cutting off broadcasting of team radio would be a root of the issue.

With that, he added the officials within the FIA are not the only targets of abuse online, but drivers and team personnel often come in for social media hate as well.

“But first of all I would then say: then they shouldn’t broadcast those onboard radios,” Verstappen said when presented with Ben Sulayem’s comments, as per Dutch publication De Telegraaf .

“Then you have already solved a big part of the problem. Then people can’t hear it and simply not know what is being said there.

“In every sport there will be something bad said at a certain decision, only there they don’t have a microphone under their nose.

“Now people hear everything and can go back to talking about it on social media. That’s where it starts.

“Surely this is not just about officials, but is generally something that goes on in the sport.

“That’s why I think it shouldn’t just be about the stewards and the FIA either. When I read something like this I think: fine, I get it, but it is a problem that many more people have to deal with.”

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