Toto Wolff “applauds” the FIA for its commitment against swearing

Toto Wolff and his counterpart at Ferrari, Frédéric Vasseur, were warned for remarks deemed “inappropriate” during the race weekend in Las Vegas. Both of them had been summoned by the FIA. The first was called in response to his statements during the pre-race press conference. As for the Italian team’s director, he was summoned for his comments following the controversial penalty received by his driver Carlos Sainz.

After both of them were auditioned, the FIA finally decided on a simple warning, judging that the language used was not common for both men. For Toto Wolff, the governing body explained that the use of such language was provoked by a sudden outburst during the press conference and therefore cannot be considered typical of this team principal. As for Frédéric Vasseur, in this case, the team principal was extremely upset and frustrated by the incident that occurred during Free Practice 1, and such language from him was not usual.

Setting an example

At the end of this meeting, Toto Wolff stated that it was a good thing that the FIA is fighting against this vocabulary. Despite an ironic tone at the beginning of his statement to Sky Sports, the Austrian believes that the participants must set an example. « It was great. This is the second time I have been summoned somewhere, the last time was in 1984 when I was 12 years old at school », joked the director of Mercedes. « In a positive way, we are role models, we represent the sport, and some of us are not native, so the F-word is easier. I don’t think anyone, inside or outside the car, should use this kind of language when we are being watched by young people. »

Toto Wolff did not contest his summons. The Austrian clearly defended the sporting code of motorsport. « There is a much broader vision », explained the team principal. « That’s why I accept being summoned. All of us – whether it’s the drivers, team representatives, or FIA officials – must adhere to the governance agreement of the Concorde on how decisions are made. We all must adhere to the FIA’s code of ethics. This episode regarding foul language, which I applaud, contains a set of regulations and guidelines that we must all adhere to in the best interest of the sport. »

After this legislative episode, Toto Wolff must lead his team to the status of vice constructor champion. Mercedes only has a mere four-point lead over Ferrari.