Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff has said that Formula 1 “needs raw moments” amid the FIA’s swearing row with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Verstappen has been ordered to conduct a day’s community service for using the ‘f-word’ during last Thursday’s Singapore Grand Prix press conference.
In response, Verstappen was tight-lipped in the post-qualifying and post-race press conferences, conducting his own, more talkative conversations with the media outside of the FIA’s gaze.
Mercedes team boss Wolff saw the argument from both sides but noted F1 can’t risk losing its passion and character.
“I think there is an argument that big swearing and being rude on the radio is not something that should happen,” Wolff told media including Motorsport Week.
“If it’s so bad, it is disrespectful towards the other side of the line. There are people at home watching it, the family of the people.
“And although it’s the f word is common language now, I think it’s always the context and the way you say it. But we want to have emotions. We want to have raw moments.
“We understand that the drivers are in a state of extremes, but if we can dim it down a little bit, I think that’s good for all of us.
Wolff questions if anyone listened to Verstappen’s press conference
“But I wouldn’t necessarily ban the f-word. I think that is street words. There’s worse than that.”
Speaking of swearing in FIA press conferences, Wolff exclaimed that he didn’t think “anybody listens” to them regardless.
“We are all part of that travelling circus we know each other and I don’t think that using the f-word in a press conference is the worst thing,” Wolff explained further.
“Okay if we need to adapt all of us adapt our language including team principals then we’ll look at it more, the more civilized the case.”
Wolff recalled his own conflict with the FIA following the feisty Friday press conference at last year’s inaugural Las Vegas GP.
Wolff, along with Ferrari Team Principal Fred Vasseur landed themselves in hot water after a tense clash with the media following Carlos Sainz’s car being written off by a loose drain cover.
“It was quite an enjoyable experience,” Wolff quipped. “Fred and I were there at the same time. Yeah. He was a bit more worried.
“I said to them, it’s the first time since school that I was called to the headmaster, and I promise it’s gonna be the last time.”
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