McLaren boss Andrea Stella has said Formula 1 drivers have “responsibilities” to behave after Max Verstappen was penalised for swearing at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Dutchman became a victim of the FIA’s clampdown on swearing as using an expletive in a press conference has seen him ordered to complete “public interest” work.
The FIA Sporting Code has been reworded to include the forbidding of “any misconduct”, enabling stewards to investigate instances in which drivers use bad language.
The reigning World Champion has led a kickback on the issue, deliberately opting to say little at a following press conference, as well as holding his own impromptu press session with media in Red Bull’s hospitality area at the Marina Bay Circuit, as well as branding the rules “soft” and “silly”.
Stella claims F1 can ‘influence’ people
Stella has acknowledged that drivers should be allowed to vent their frustration but argued consideration must be taken to watch their language when attending media events.
“I think I would differentiate between the swearing in while the drivers are driving their car – they are under the pressure of the competition, under the pressure of delivering laps,” he said.
“But things don’t go to plan. I think there’s an emotional content, which we should accept that, sometimes, it comes out in the form of having a bad word here and there.
“I think the beeps, they sort of do the job from this point of view.
“When you are obviously outside the car, I think we all should make an attempt to be responsible and not forget that we are, as much as possible, role models.
“The popularity, the celebrity, it doesn’t only come with benefits – it comes with responsibilities, and we need to take any possible opportunity to pass good messages, healthy messages, because Formula 1 is so popular that you can influence a wide range of people.
“If we can influence, why not influence for the good? So I think even if a bad word could look like a small element, I think, if we don’t take this opportunity, it’s a missed opportunity to pass just even from the quality of the language, the respect in the language, the respect for competitors.
“So I think enforcing is a good thing. Ideally, all competitors enforce them for themselves because of their own policies or their own standards.”
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