The FIA shows no sign of altering its position on swearing despite growing criticism from drivers.
This week World Rally Championship drivers joined their Formula 1 counterparts in complaining publicly to the FIA over its penalties for drivers who swear during their media duties. It came after WRC driver Adrian Fourmaux became the first person to be fined under new guidelines introduced by the FIA during the off-season.
A statement issued by the World Rally Drivers Alliance echoed statements made by F1 drivers in November last year, insisting that “monetary fines are not appropriate” as a penalty for using insulting language.
However following a meeting of the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council today the sport’s governing body issued a statement stating it expects competitors to abide by its rules which define swearing as a form of “misconduct”.
“Ushering in a year of respect, World Council members shared their support for the FIA’s efforts in upholding the code of conduct to promote sportsmanship [and] best practice including expectations around language and behaviour, in line with the position taken by international governing bodies across the sporting community,” it said.
“As role models for young motorsport fans and ambassadors to the wider sporting world, how drivers act on the track and in the paddock matters, and the code of conduct includes expectations around language that can be seen as offensive or inappropriate by many, or acts that could be deemed detrimental to the sport.”
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has made stamping out online abuse of competitors and officials a priority issue through his United Against Online Abuse initiative.
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“Our role as regulators and guardians of the very essence of motorsport requires us to speak out against all forms of harassment of athletes and to take firm action against it,” he said.
“At all levels, our sport is underpinned by respect, and I urge the sporting community to consider the impact of their actions both online and offline.”
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