F1 News: FIA Plans More Community Service For Drivers After Max Verstappen Success

Saajan Jogia | Dec 15, 2024

Nov 3, 2019; Austin, TX, USA; A view of the FIA Formula One flag before the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

After Max Verstappen served the one-day community service penalty for swearing in a press conference, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem was happy that the Dutchman "fulfilled his promise" and called his interaction with young talents "real diversity." As a result of the positive interaction, Ben Sulayem claims he would likely include community service as a mandate for all drivers in their contracts when they get their racing licenses.

Verstappen set off a controversy during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend when he aimed select curse words at his RB20 car. However, that came in the wake of Ben Sulayem's advice for drivers to refrain from using such words on camera, considering the sport is being viewed by all kinds of audiences, including children. The violation from the four-time world champion saw him attract a one-day community service penalty, the details of which were revealed after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale.

During his time in Rwanda's Kigali, where he was invited to the FIA awards ceremony held on 13 December, Verstappen participated in a grassroots motorsport development initiative aimed at expanding accessibility and opportunities within the sport, an event organized by the Rwanda Automobile Club. The Red Bull driver expressed admiration for the program, particularly as Rwanda submitted a bid to reintroduce Formula 1 to the African continent.

Ben Sulayem seemed happy about Verstappen's contribution to the community as a Formula 1 world champion. Thus, he emphasized that he would try and ensure drivers get to undertake community service, but this time not as a punishment. He said:

“[Max] really fulfilled his promise.

“This is the community service we need every single driver, champion, to do if we want to grow.

“If we talk about diversity: this is the real diversity. It was not about the car, mainly about the people there.

“I believe maybe in the future we won’t have to have it as a penalty.

“It has to come as a gesture from the drivers and maybe I’ll put it in the contract once they get their licence.”

After serving his penalty in Rwanda, Verstappen shared words of inspiration, highlighting that no dream is out of reach. He expressed his optimism that, in the years ahead, more people would have the opportunity to pursue careers in motorsport. He said:

"In the whole world, everything is getting more and more expensive, so the more you can build [motorsports] in your own country, the more you make it affordable for kids.

"I think it's great to have that possibility, and I hope it stimulates all these kids so that they want to be a racing driver, an engineer, in the future.

"It has massive potential and that is what I think everyone is working on... trying to make everyone very enthusiastic. It doesn't matter where in the world you come from, anything is possible.

"That's why I also think it's important that we're here. I'm very excited to see that hopefully in five to ten years, there are more people coming through [into motorsports]."