Formula 1 Drivers Release Brutal Open Letter To FIA President After Swearing Saga

Saajan Jogia | Nov 7, 2024

May 4, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) leads the start of the F1 Sprint Race at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

All Formula 1 drivers, who are members of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), have addressed FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in a brutal open letter concerning several issues, which include the policing of swearing and clarity on how fines are allocated to benefit the sport.

The letter appears to have been prompted by Ben Sulayem's remarks on swearing and the FIA's decision to impose a one-day community service penalty on Max Verstappen for using an expletive directed at his RB20 F1 car in Singapore. The statement asks the FIA to treat the drivers like "adults" who do not need to be given instructions about the "wearing of jewellery and underpants."

The letter also revealed that the GPDA has been urging the FIA president for the past three years to disclose how fine money has been allocated while suggesting that imposing monetary fines on drivers may not be appropriate to begin with. These topics were reportedly discussed by the drivers in Mexico. The GPDA statement read:

"As is the case with every sport, competitors must abide by the referee’s decision, whether they like it or not, indeed whether they agree with it or not. That is how sport works. The Drivers (our members) are no different, and fully understand that.

"Our members are professional drivers, racing in Formula 1, the pinnacle of international motorsport. They are the gladiators and every racing weekend they put on a great show for the fans.

"With regards to swearing, there is a difference between swearing intended to insult others and more casual swearing, such as you might use to describe bad weather, or indeed an inanimate object such as a Formula 1 car, or a driving situation.

"We urge the FIA President to also consider his own tone and language when talking to our member drivers, or indeed about them, whether in a public forum or otherwise. Further, our members are adults, they do not need to be given instructions via the media, about matters as trivial as the wearing of jewellery and underpants.

"The GPDA has, on countless occasions, expressed its view that Driver monetary fines are not appropriate for our Sport. For the past 3 years, we have called upon the FIA President to share the details and strategy regarding how the FIA's financial fines are allocated and where the funds are spent. We have also relayed our concerns about the negative image financial fines bring to the Sport. We once again request that the FIA President provides financial transparency and direct, open dialogue with us. All stakeholders (FIA, F1, the Teams and the GPDA) should jointly determine how and where the money is spent for the benefit of our Sport.

"The GPDA wishes to collaborate in a constructive way with all the stakeholders, including the FIA President, in order to promote our great Sport for the benefit of everyone who works in it, pays for it, watches it, and indeed loves it. We are playing our part."