Fred Vasseur agrees with Max Verstappen and emphasizes uniqueness of F1 amid FIA censorship. Frédéric Vasseur defends Max Verstappen regarding the FIA “censorship” in F1.

Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur aligns with Verstappen on the FIA censorship issue, supporting the Dutch driver. The decision to penalize drivers for foul language has sparked debate across the paddock: fellow drivers of the three-time World Champion, the first to face a penalty for this reason, have come to his defense, and some team principals have also spoken out on the matter.

This became the most talked-about issue of the weekend, even more so than the FIA’s U-turn on flexible wings. In fact, some, clearly in bad faith, might suggest that it was a deliberate attempt at distraction: diverting the paddock’s attention from regulatory issues to the matter of foul language.

The first to be penalized, unsurprisingly, was Max Verstappen. The Dutch driver, guilty of using the notorious “f-word,” was sentenced to community service. This quickly became a source of jokes among his colleagues, who used irony to protest against the FIA’s new measure. Soon after, some team principals joined the drivers in voicing their concerns.

Fred Vasseur and James Vowles support Max Verstappen
Frédéric Vasseur defended Verstappen, stating: “We are the only sport in the world that puts a microphone in front of the drivers’ mouths – explained the Ferrari team principal to DAZN – If we did the same in other sports… I think it would be a mistake to ask the drivers to speak 100% politely when they are in the car: we’d end up shutting off the radio, and that wouldn’t be good.” – the French manager explained.

James Vowles, Williams’ team principal, echoed Frederic Vasseur’s sentiment: “The drivers are gladiators, putting their lives on the line. If any of us were risking our lives, we would have emotional reactions. We need to be careful not to go overboard, preserving these emotions. At the same time, if we’re talking about an external context and it’s controllable, then a discussion is needed.”

The point seems clear: you can’t ask drivers to monitor their words while in the car, as that would be absurd. However, when in front of microphones and in interviews, using more appropriate language for a wider audience could be a winning approach.

Source: f1ingenerale