Mercedes driver George Russell has defended F1 drivers being able to “express themselves how they desire” via team radio, as the FIA looks set to clampdown on swearing.
The 26-year-old, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), did concede, however, that there was “merit” in avoiding bad language during press conferences.
The issue was cast under the spotlight during the recent Singapore Grand Prix weekend after Max Verstappen was penalised by the FIA for saying the f-word during the official drivers’ press conference on Thursday.
That remark came hours after FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem had questioned the extent of inappropriate language used in F1, calling for the series to clean up its TV broadcasts.
Mandated to complete “some work of public interest” as his punishment, Verstappen responded by limiting his press conference answers for the remainder of the event, whilst holding his own media scrums in the paddock.
As the main driver representative for the GPDA, Russell opted for a conciliatory approach, supporting his Red Bull rival whilst acknowledging where the drivers might be able to meet the FIA halfway when asked for his input by RacingNews365.
“We definitely don’t want to take that raw emotion away from the drivers,” Russell replied. “I think that’s key in our sport.
“Maybe, in a press conference, there’s merit in saying we need to keep our words clean.
“But for sure, on the radio, you want to be able to express yourself as you desire.”
