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The Irish Sun
15-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘Won't say thank you any time soon' – George Russell reacts as hated F1 rule is overturned
GEORGE RUSSELL "won't be saying thank you" anytime soon after blasting Formula One's swearing rules as too "ridiculous" in the first place. The Mercedes star, who sits fourth in the Championship standings, showed no gratitude to F1's governing body after labelling the walk-back on rules as "suspect" ahead of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. Advertisement 2 George Russell has criticised the FIA's stance on swearing and criticising officials Credit: Getty 2 FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem dramatically reduced the fines after receiving backlash Credit: AFP On Wednesday, the FIA climbed down on its previous stance of drivers facing potential bans and point deductions for swearing or criticising officials, and dramatically reduced the possible fines that can be issued. Crucially, the stewards are now able to differentiate between 'controlled' and 'non-controlled' environments, meaning drivers are highly unlikely to be punished for swearing while competing, but will still face action for using offensive language in press conferences. But The 27-year-old said: "I didn't really have any reaction to the announcement because it was so ridiculous in the first place that we are just basically reverting on that. Advertisement READ MORE ON F1 "At the end of the day we're not going to be saying thank you for something that was so crazy in the first place. "We've just gone back to something that is slightly more in the name of common sense "But we should never have moved away from that in the first place. You know, we shouldn't even be having this conversation." Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, also revealed that he "wonders if the change was strategic timing" given that Ben Sulayem is up for re-election at the end of the season. Advertisement Most read in Motorsport CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Ben Sulayem said when the rule change was announced that he had "led an extensive and collaborative review with contributions from across the seven FIA World Championships". But, Russell has refused that claim, saying: "We've still had no correspondence with anyone from the senior level at the FIA. So yeah, it's all a bit suspect." Lewis Hamilton fumes 'have a tea break while you're at it' at Ferrari staff and refuses to apologise in Miami GP bust-up Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, 40, also agreed that the situation was "ridiculous". Advertisement The seven-time champion said: "It seems a bit of a mess there at the moment. There are lots of changes that are needed, for sure." Red Bull's Incredibly, Russell and Verstappen both backed the potential bid of Carlos Sainz Sr, the father of Williams driver When asked if Sainz would be a better president, the world champion Red Bull star bluntly replied: 'You can fill that in yourself. Advertisement "He's very well respected in the world here and in the rally world as a former rally driver. "Of course people always say it's conflicting with his son but I think he's professional enough to keep that separated from each other. "I think it would be a great addition to run for president." Russell also dismissed the idea there could be a conflict of interest because of Sainz's son, who is also a GPDA director. Advertisement The Brit said: "You're so far removed from a technical standpoint. It's down to the technical people within the FIA to be the rule makers. "The president in years gone by has probably been far less involved than what we've seen recently and far less visible." F1 2025 THE new Formula One season is well underway - and one team appear to be running away with it. A massive summer of change saw Lewis Hamilton move on from Mercedes and join Ferrari, while the McLaren pair of The Red Bull ace is aiming for a record-equalling FIFTH consecutive world title. INFORMATION F1 2025 calendar, race times, TV and live stream info How much does each driver earn and are there bonuses? Full list of drivers and teams for 2025 Track guide - were there any changes this season? LATEST NEWS SEASON SO FAR Race Five - Saudi Arabia
Scottish Sun
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
‘Won't say thank you any time soon' – George Russell reacts as hated F1 rule is overturned
GEOR-DROPPING 'Won't say thank you any time soon' – George Russell reacts as hated F1 rule is overturned Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) GEORGE RUSSELL "won't be saying thank you" anytime soon after blasting Formula One's swearing rules as too "ridiculous" in the first place. The Mercedes star, who sits fourth in the Championship standings, showed no gratitude to F1's governing body after labelling the walk-back on rules as "suspect" ahead of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 George Russell has criticised the FIA's stance on swearing and criticising officials Credit: Getty 2 FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem dramatically reduced the fines after receiving backlash Credit: AFP On Wednesday, the FIA climbed down on its previous stance of drivers facing potential bans and point deductions for swearing or criticising officials, and dramatically reduced the possible fines that can be issued. Crucially, the stewards are now able to differentiate between 'controlled' and 'non-controlled' environments, meaning drivers are highly unlikely to be punished for swearing while competing, but will still face action for using offensive language in press conferences. But Russell, was unmoved by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem cutting the first time fines from £33,700 down to £4,200. The 27-year-old said: "I didn't really have any reaction to the announcement because it was so ridiculous in the first place that we are just basically reverting on that. "At the end of the day we're not going to be saying thank you for something that was so crazy in the first place. "We've just gone back to something that is slightly more in the name of common sense "But we should never have moved away from that in the first place. You know, we shouldn't even be having this conversation." Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, also revealed that he "wonders if the change was strategic timing" given that Ben Sulayem is up for re-election at the end of the season. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS Ben Sulayem said when the rule change was announced that he had "led an extensive and collaborative review with contributions from across the seven FIA World Championships". But, Russell has refused that claim, saying: "We've still had no correspondence with anyone from the senior level at the FIA. So yeah, it's all a bit suspect." Lewis Hamilton fumes 'have a tea break while you're at it' at Ferrari staff and refuses to apologise in Miami GP bust-up Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton, 40, also agreed that the situation was "ridiculous". The seven-time champion said: "It seems a bit of a mess there at the moment. There are lots of changes that are needed, for sure." Red Bull's Max Verstappen - who last year was the first driver to be punished for saying his car was "f***ed" with a form of community service - said the change was "a bit better and it's a start". Incredibly, Russell and Verstappen both backed the potential bid of Carlos Sainz Sr, the father of Williams driver Sainz, in this December's FIA presidential election. When asked if Sainz would be a better president, the world champion Red Bull star bluntly replied: 'You can fill that in yourself. "He's very well respected in the world here and in the rally world as a former rally driver. "Of course people always say it's conflicting with his son but I think he's professional enough to keep that separated from each other. "I think it would be a great addition to run for president." Russell also dismissed the idea there could be a conflict of interest because of Sainz's son, who is also a GPDA director. The Brit said: "You're so far removed from a technical standpoint. It's down to the technical people within the FIA to be the rule makers. "The president in years gone by has probably been far less involved than what we've seen recently and far less visible."
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
F1 swearing controversy 'all a bit suspect'
Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix Venue: Imola Dates: 16-18 May Race start: 14:00 BST on Sunday Coverage: Live commentary of all sessions on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app Mercedes' George Russell says the back-and-forth controversy over punishing Formula 1 drivers for swearing is "all a bit suspect". Governing body the FIA this week climbed down on its previous stance of drivers facing potential bans for swearing or criticising officials, and dramatically reduced the possible fines that could be issued. Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, said: "We're talking about a situation where things have been reverted because it was a little bit ludicrous in the first place. "Of course we're happy to see that it (has been changed), but it should never have been there in the first place, if that makes sense. "So it feels a bit wrong to be thanking (them for) the changes when we shouldn't have been in that place to begin with." F1 driver swearing penalties reduced after outcry How to follow Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix on the BBC Incredible images from 75 years of F1 Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton added that the situation was "ridiculous". The seven-time champion added: "It seems a bit of a mess there at the moment. There's lots of changes that are needed, for sure." Red Bull's Max Verstappen - who last year was the first driver to be punished for swearing, with a form of community service - said the change was "a bit better - it's a start". FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said when the change of rules was announced on Wednesday that he had "led an extensive and collaborative review with contributions from across the seven FIA World Championships". However, speaking during media day at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, Russell said: "We've still had no correspondence with anyone from the senior level at the FIA. So yeah, it's all a bit suspect." Russell did not expand on his meaning, but it is likely that he was referring to the series of controversies that have surrounded Ben Sulayem in his three years as president, including his desire to change the statutes of the governing body to further extend his control, as BBC Sport revealed this week. Asked why the drivers had not had dialogue with Ben Sulayem, Russell said: "That's a good question. It seems more challenging than it should be really, but we've all put our views forward. "I wouldn't say it's gotten to a point of no return, but you at least want to see willingness from the other party. "I think we feel we've put our views forward and we want to have conversations and dialogue and there's only so much you can ask." World championship leader Oscar Piastri of McLaren said: "The fact there has been changes made is good. The stewards have a lot more control now, in the fine print, which is good because the circumstances definitely need to be taken into account. "It's a good step forward. One of the big things for the FIA was putting something for abusing officials which I think is very fair and reasonable. I think maybe some of the other areas got caught up in that and it felt a bit harsh. But there are some genuine reasons for what they are doing." Russell also backed the potential bid of rally legend Carlos Sainz Sr in this December's FIA presidential election. Sainz is the father of Williams driver Carlos Sainz Jr. "It could only benefit the sport having Carlos with the inside knowledge of Formula 1 from a driver's perspective and then Carlos Sr's knowledge from motorsport generally. It could be a brilliant recipe," he said. Russell dismissed the idea there could be a conflict of interest because of Sainz's son, who is also a GPDA director. He said: "You're so far sort of removed ultimately from a technical standpoint. It's down to the technical people within the FIA to be the rule makers. The president in years gone by has probably been far less involved than what we've seen recently and far less visible. "We always knew who the president of the FIA was, especially with Jean Todt, but you're working in the background, you're not working in the forefront. So I don't see there ever being a conflict." Why are rookies only lasting a few races?
Zawya
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Zawya
Ben Sulayem drives major improvements to Appendix B of FIA's International Sporting Code
Dubai, UAE: The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), the global governing body for motor sport and the federation for mobility organisations worldwide, has announced that it will make major improvements to Appendix B of its International Sporting Code (ISC) following an extensive review commissioned by FIA President, Mohammed Ben Sulayem. The latest version of Appendix B of the ISC was introduced in January 2025, aligning the FIA with other global sporting organisations such as FIFA, the National Football League and World Rugby, all of which have strong codes of conduct to protect the integrity of their respective sports. The ISC provides the stewards with the necessary regulatory tools to ensure they have all relevant information regarding the range of penalties that may be imposed and the procedures to be followed. This enables them to apply penalties in a consistent and transparent manner. The review was carried out in collaboration with the FIA Drivers' Committee and its President, Ronan Morgan, as well as the FIA Formula One Steward Chairs. Input was also received from FIA Members Clubs and other motor sport organisations across the seven FIA World Championships. The main changes to Appendix B are as follows: The base maximum penalty has been reduced generally from €10,000 to €5,000. This is a reduction of 50%. However, for FIA World Championships, where multipliers were involved, the reductions will be even more significant. Stewards will have the option to fully suspend a penalty for certain types of breach, provided it is the first offence by the driver or team. Following approval via e-vote by the WMSC, the amended Appendix B will allow stewards to differentiate between controlled and non-controlled environments, effectively recognising the difference between language used in 'uncontrolled' and 'controlled' environments. Controlled environments include settings such as press conferences, while uncontrolled environments refer to spontaneous comments made by drivers or teams when on track or during a rally stage. Mitigating circumstances will continue to be considered, with additional guidance available to promote consistency and fairness for all parties in the application of Appendix B. Abuse of officials will now result in sporting penalties rather than fines, aligning motor sport with other major global sports organisations Racial and discriminatory comments will continue to be addressed firmly. Stewards will retain the supreme authority to decide which penalty to impose in the event of a breach of the ISC. FIA President Ben Sulayem, said: 'As a former rally driver, I know firsthand the range of emotions that are faced during competition. I have led an extensive and collaborative review with contributions from across the seven FIA World Championships, FIA Member Clubs and other motor sports organisations. 'The improvements the FIA has announced today to Appendix B will ensure we continue to promote the best of sportsmanship in motor sport, while also giving Stewards effective guidelines to act against individuals who may bring the sport into disrepute. The FIA will always be committed to ensuring motor sport is accessible for all our sporting family.' Ronan Morgan said: 'Drivers are looked up to as role models by young fans and are rightly seen as ambassadors for the wider world of motor sport. How they act really does matter, but it is important to recognise that there is a difference between what is said during a race and in a press conference. 'Today's changes further strengthen the FIA's International Sporting Code supporting our drivers by understanding the pressures they face during the heat of competition.' About FIA The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) is the governing body for world motorsport and the federation for mobility organisations globally. It is a non-profit organisation committed to driving innovation and championing safety, sustainability and equality across motor sport and mobility. Founded in 1904, with offices in Paris, London and Geneva, the FIA brings together 245 Member Organisations across five continents, representing millions of road users, motor sport professionals and volunteers. It develops and enforces regulations for motor sport, including seven FIA World Championships, to ensure worldwide competitions are safe and fair for all.
CNN
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- CNN
Motorsport's world governing body dials back driver cursing penalties after major outcry
The FIA, motorsport's world governing body, announced on Wednesday a major dialing back of the penalties issued to drivers for cursing after a groundswell of opposition towards the new regulations. In rules introduced by the FIA ahead of the season, F1 drivers could be penalized – with monetary fines or loss of championship points – for cursing in press conferences. Fines started at €40,000 ($41,600) for a driver's first offense, with it doubling for a second breach of the rules as well as a suspended one-month ban. A third offense would potentially bring about a €120,000 ($125,000) fine, a one-month ban and the loss of championship points. But the FIA scaled back those regulations on Wednesday after continued complaints from high-level F1 drivers. Following the amendment of Appendix B in FIA International Sporting Code, the base maximum penalties for drivers will be reduced generally from €10,000 ($11,210) to €5,000 ($5,600) – a reduction of 50% – although 'for FIA World Championships, where multipliers were involved, the reductions will be even more significant,' the governing body said. The FIA also said that stewards can suspend a penalty in certain cases if it's a first offense by a driver or team. Stewards will also be permitted to adjudge whether language was used in 'controlled' or 'uncontrolled' environments to assess whether a penalty is deemed necessary – a 'controlled' environment is defined as a press conferences and an 'uncontrolled' environment is a 'spontaneous comments made by drivers or teams when on track or during a rally stage.' The new guidelines also state that 'abuse of officials will now result in sporting penalties rather than fines, aligning motor sport with other major global sports organizations.' 'As a former rally driver, I know firsthand the range of emotions that are faced during competition. I have led an extensive and collaborative review with contributions from across the seven FIA World Championships, FIA Member Clubs and other motor sports organizations,' FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said. 'The improvements the FIA has announced today to Appendix B will ensure we continue to promote the best of sportsmanship in motor sport, while also giving Stewards effective guidelines to act against individuals who may bring the sport into disrepute. The FIA will always be committed to ensuring motor sport is accessible for all our sporting family.' The original penalties implemented before this season were criticized by many F1 drivers who thought they were excessive. Drivers, including reigning world champion Max Verstappen, also complained about the lack of dialogue between them and the FIA around addressing any issues. Ronan Morgan, president of the drivers' committee, said that the changing of the rules around cursing 'further strengthen the FIA's International Sporting Code supporting our drivers by understanding the pressures they face during the heat of competition.' 'Drivers are looked up to as role models by young fans and are rightly seen as ambassadors for the wider world of motor sport, how they act really does matter but it is important to recognize that there is a difference between what is said during a race and in a press conference,' Morgan said.
