A former world champion suggests a more lenient approach to swearing in F1

In the absence of cars on the track, F1 continues to provide entertainment behind the scenes. Indeed, the issue of swearing has recently resurfaced following statements by Allan McNish. The former Toyota F1 driver, three-time Le Mans 24 Hours winner and 2013 endurance world champion, stated that a more flexible approach should be favored while admitting the complexity of the matter.

Pedagogy as a solution

« It’s a delicate subject,” he mentioned to RacingNews365. « If I put myself in the fans’ shoes, it’s a question of emotion. As a driver, I know it’s sometimes very difficult to control yourself in the cockpit. I’ve let slip a few ‘beep-beeps’ myself, luckily never broadcasted. When you’re behind the wheel, it’s complicated, but at the same time, you don’t necessarily want everything to be transmitted. So there are times when it needs to be monitored, but calmly talking to the drivers about it is a very good approach. »

Cases that forced the FIA to react more severely

A shocking statement that opposes the position adopted by the FIA, which decided a few days ago to impose new, stricter rules regarding misconduct in the media. Drivers can now receive penalties, or even race bans if swearing occurs multiple times in the season. A stricter stance following Max Verstappen’s comments during the Singapore Grand Prix press conference in 2024 where he stated: I don’t know. The settings were different. As soon as I started qualifying, I knew the car was s*** in terms of its pace during the previous Grand Prix in Baku. The Dutch driver was summoned by the stewards shortly after and had to carry out community service.

A few weeks later in Mexico, Charles Leclerc, the Ferrari driver, had also uttered swear words but was fined 10,000 euros. For FIA president Mohamed Ben Sulayem, drivers need to control their behavior in front of the media. « We must differentiate between our sport, motor racing, and rap. We are not rappers. How many times do they say the F-word per minute? We don’t do that. They are who they are, and we are who we are. »

Off-track overtaking: a more difficult case to resolve

If the federation is working to limit the insults uttered by drivers, a proposal that has been supported by some paddock figures, notably Mercedes’ team principal Toto Wolff, it seems to have more difficulty proposing solutions regarding overtakes. These were at the heart of debates at the end of the season following incidents between the two championship rivals, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, who delivered intense battles in Austin and then the following week in Mexico. For McNish, the current rules are nothing like what he experienced, and he would like overtakes to be better rewarded.

« The race has evolved a lot, and I don’t remember many overtakes on the outside when I was racing for Toyota. Today, it is possible to overtake on the outside, on the inside… It’s not entirely fair, but it’s much more common. As motorsport enthusiasts, we want real overtaking, real combat. »

« When a driver manages to overtake exceptionally, we take our hat off to him. In my time, you could close the door easily, without consequences. You could push an opponent off the track without penalty, which wasn’t ideal, but that’s how the rules worked at the time. Making sure we have the conditions for beautiful overtaking is a good thing. I’m looking forward to seeing that, because we always remember the great actions, like [Juan Pablo] Montoya on Michael Schumacher at the first corner in São Paulo in 2001. Those are the moments we remember and that mark history. »

A lot of discussions await the FIA in the coming days, along with many questions: should they prioritize the on-track spectacle even if it means allowing overtaking beyond limits? Would showing more severity make F1 less attractive and reduce on-track battles? A delicate dilemma awaits F1 as the start of the season approaches.