Carlos Sainz: The language restrictions imposed by the FIA are excessive
The driver from Atlassian Williams Racing is asking the FIA to differentiate between press conferences, where one needs to try to be exemplary, and in-race radio exchanges, at the heart of the action. He advocates for spontaneity as a testament to the difficulty of Formula 1.
As the FIA has just tightened the rules regarding the behavior and language used by drivers—not only in F1 but also in all disciplines overseen by the FIA—Carlos Sainz was able to comment on the topic during the launch of his new car, the Williams FW47.
Dissociate behavior according to intentions…
We must not mix everything up: a driver can exclaim in an impolite manner according to the FIA without being insulting. However, even in single-seaters, Carlos Sainz agrees that one should not speak in a hurtful way towards others: as long as they are not offensive words towards someone, but just a swear that shows I am emotional, I don’t think it should be too controlled, because otherwise, you will miss out on a lot of the things we experience inside the car.
… and depending on the context
Outside the car
« I am in favor of making a group effort – when all the children are watching us in a press conference or in front of the media – to at least have good behavior and decent vocabulary. »
Carlos Sainz therefore shares the principle of exemplarity advocated by the FIA: for him, it is not a matter of shirking his responsibility as a representative of Formula 1.
Inside the car
« At the same time, do I think it’s excessive for radio communication, considering the adrenaline and the pressure we have in the car? Yes, I think that what the FIA is trying to do with the bans and everything else is excessive, because for me, it’s a fundamental part of the sport. It’s what allows you to see the true emotion, the real pressure, and excitement in the voice, and sometimes, unfortunately, the vocabulary of a race driver ».
Sainz thus emphasizes the authenticity of radio exchanges during a race: it allows the spectator to truly be immersed in the action and better understand what a driver may feel in this extreme sport.
Sainz in favor of spontaneity
« It’s good to have these kinds of moments because you see the real driver. We are already very limited in what we can tell you about our teams and situations. We already have many briefings with the media. They already tell us what to say. »
Once again, the Atlassian Williams Racing team driver insists on not mixing everything up: press conferences are highly regulated, and radio exchanges during the race are somewhat the last bit of spontaneity left for the drivers. Taking that away is risking that spectators forget how extreme Formula 1 is, where drivers sometimes come very close to death, and where everything happens in less than a second. Moreover, access to radio communications is our way of learning more about how drivers handle the stress of a race: it’s how we realize Oscar Piastri’s calm even in the most extreme situations, Max Verstappen’s irritation whenever the race doesn’t go as he wishes, Charles Leclerc’s dismay when he’s subjected to an inefficient strategy by Scuderia Ferrari…
The new regulation has already hit
A WRC driver faced the consequences this weekend of the FIA’s zero-tolerance policy regarding inappropriate remarks by drivers. The unfortunate selected one is Adrien Fourmaux, who used an inappropriate word while reflecting on a mistake made at the start of a stage. He is fined €10,000, plus €20,000 suspended. This incident reminds us that the FIA doesn’t make empty threats: it enforces them.
What the regulation might imply
But that’s not all. Pilots are no longer just risking fines and community service: inappropriate language can cost them points on their super license, and possibly a suspension. As F1 spectators, let’s ask ourselves: how would we react if the championship were to be decided by a single swear word?
