Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc has to answer for swearing in an official press conference for the racing series. The English F-word is costing the 27-year-old Monegasques dearly: While world champion Max Verstappen was already sentenced to community service by Red Bull for using the same foul expression with four letters, the regulators have now imposed a sentence in São in the case of the Ferrari driver Paulo was fined 10,000 euros. Half of them were suspended for twelve months. So that’s 2500 euros per letter.
The International Automobile Federation FIA must ensure that statements made in public – for example at press conferences – meet generally accepted standards for all listeners and broadcasts, the race stewards said in their justification. This applies in particular to statements made by World Cup participants who serve as role models both inside and outside of sport.
The fact that Leclerc immediately apologized in the press conference after the Mexico race at least had a mitigating effect on the punishment. The race stewards made it clear that his violation did not reach the same extent as the most recent case – which obviously meant Verstappen’s faux pas.
Leclerc cursed after his third place in Mexico City when he spoke about a scene in which he braked in the final corner of the race and had to let Lando Norris overtake in the McLaren. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he immediately admitted – and with a laugh, referring to Verstappen’s punishment in Singapore, added: “I don’t want to take part with Max.”
