Max Verstappen protest spreads as fellow World Champion targets FIA after €30,000 fine

Max Verstappen’s protest against the FIA at the Singapore Grand Prix has spread to this weekend’s Rally Chile, where WRC legend Sebastien Ogier has adopted the Red Bull F1 driver’s tactics.

Verstappen was sanctioned for swearing in an FIA press conference on the eve of last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, with F1’s governing body ordering him to “undertake some work of public interest.”

WRC legend adopts Max Verstappen stance against the FIA

It came just days after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem called for a clampdown on drivers using foul language, insisting “we have to differentiate between our sport and rap music.”

Verstappen responded to his punishment by being noticeably unforthcoming in the FIA press conferences after qualifying and the race at Marina Bay – even holding an impromptu media gathering in the middle of the paddock once the post-qualifying FIA session had ended – in a protest against the governing body’s stance.

The Red Bull driver’s actions were supported by Verstappen’s competitors, including seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, who urged his rival to ignore the FIA’s punishment.

And Verstappen’s stance has now been adopted by eight-time WRC title winner Ogier, who has also taken issue with the FIA after being hit with a suspended €30,000 fine at the previous round in Greece.

With hanging dust an issue on gravel-based rally events, Ogier complained about the short intervals between cars in Greece after his visibility on the opening stage was compromised.

“It is annoying to see that the sport never learns,” Ogier said at the end of the stage.

“We ask. We know that we are going to have dust. There is hanging dust. They say no. What do you have in your head? Nothing. It’s crazy.”

Those comments were deemed to have breached Article 12.2.1.f of the FIA International Sporting Code, which relates to “any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motor sport and on the values defended by the FIA.”

As a result, Ogier was hit with a €30,000 suspended fine with the Toyota driver taking a stand against the FIA in Chile as the WRC season resumed on Friday.

Ogier kept his answers to television crews to a minimum at the end of each stage, before accusing the FIA of forcing drivers “to shut our mouths” at the midday service on Friday.

Ogier told the WRC’s live coverage of Rally Chile: “You realise that I didn’t really want to talk today, we’ve been told that we shouldn’t at the moment.

“It is not a fantastic reaction to do what I do and it is not personal against [the media] and for the fans I am sorry about it but we have very little tools we can use.

“Today I don’t feel like I want to talk and I am sorry for all the people that deserve better than that.

“But we have been told by the top of the FIA to shut our mouths, so it is a bit sad.”

In an apparent reference to Verstappen’s punishment in Singapore, Ogier added: “It is not only in rally at the moment, but let’s see what the future brings.”

Ogier’s stance was backed by 2019 WRC champion Ott Tanak, who admitted that “it is really difficult to know how to act” in what are “strange times” for motor racing.

Tanak caught the attention at the end of the shakedown stage on Thursday in Chile, where he told television crews: “Let’s see how the rally will be.

“It is quite interesting times at the moment. Not sure how much I can say, but I’m living the dream and enjoying the cars.”

Later asked to explain his remark, the Hyundai driver admitted his caution in front of the media had been triggered by the action taken by the FIA against Verstappen and Ogier.

He said: “I meant it is strange times in motorsport generally where you need to be very careful what you say and how you express your emotions they are not really allowed for the moment.

“In rallying with Seb and in Formula 1 as well, and with all these things coming together, it seems we are really on the radar at the moment, so let’s see where it goes from here. It is difficult to say at the moment what is the target.

“Probably the promoter should take us to one side and really explain to us what they expecting, but for the moment to give stage-end interviews without any emotion, it is really difficult to know how to act.

“It is an interesting time.”

Read next: Guenther Steiner weighs in on FIA swearing ‘warpath’ after Max Verstappen punishment