Charles Leclerc has been summoned by the FIA stewards at the Brazilian Grand Prix for swearing in the post-race press conference in Mexico last weekend.
The Monegasque swore when describing his late-race moment in the Mexico City race, where he ran wide at the final corner as he fought hard with Lando Norris.
“I had one oversteer and then when I recovered from that oversteer, I had an oversteer from the other side and then I was like, ‘f***’,” he said.
Quickly realising that the use of swear words in press conferences is now frowned upon after Max Verstappen was punished for cursing in Singapore, Leclerc immediately apologised.
“Oh, sorry! Oh no, I don’t want to join Max,” Leclerc said.
Leclerc was seen in conversation with an FIA official after the press conference, and it is understood a note was sent to the race stewards earlier this week advising them of a potential rules breach.
With the stewards in Brazil only convening properly on Friday morning, it took them until shortly after the start of sprint qualifying to react to that note and decide that the matter did need a proper hearing.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24
Photo by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Images
They stated that Leclerc was being called up for an “alleged breach of Article 12.2.1.k of the International Sporting Code – Language during the Mexico FIA Post Race Press Conference.”
Leclerc’s summons came after Verstappen, who has been punished with a day of community service for his swearing, expressed some surprise in Brazil for his Ferrari rival not being questioned by the FIA.
“Apparently, it only counts for me anyway, because after the race in Mexico, someone was swearing. I didn’t hear anything from it,’ he said.
“It’s weird. Actually what he says is worse than what I said in the context, and it was a much more important press conference with more people watching.”
The hardline stance from the FIA on swearing came in the wake of FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem expressing his displeasure at the language of drivers in F1.
Speaking to Motorsport.com, he said: “I know, I was a driver. In the heat of the moment, when you think you are upset because another driver came to you and pushed you…when I used to drive in the dust [and something like that happened], I would get upset.
“But also, we have to be careful with our conduct. We need to be responsible people and now with technology, everything is going live and everything is going to be recorded. At the end of the day, we have to study that to see: do we minimise what is being said publicly?”
