F1 teams can take the dish soap out of their drivers’ onboard drink bottles because swearing is back on the menu. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile announced on Wednesday that it has significantly reduced the potential penalties for profanities and removed the threat of a month-long ban from competition that was introduced in January. However, President Mohammed Ben Sulayem proposed a slate of other changes to consolidate his power at the motorsport’s global governing body. If enacted, he could handpick his opponents in the upcoming presidential election.
The FIA has reached a compromise with F1 similar to the agreement reached with the World Rally Championship’s competitors last month. Events will be split into two zones, “controlled” and “uncontrolled.” Drivers will be allowed to swear in “uncontrolled” scenarios, like on team radio during sessions or in TV interviews just after climbing out of the car. Profanity still isn’t allowed in “controlled” environments like press conferences, but the punishments are far less harsh. The base fine has been reduced from €10,000 to €5,000 ($5,595) with corresponding drops from repeat offenses. Also, event stewards now have the ability to completely suspend the fine if it’s the driver’s first offense.
Mohammed Ben Sulayem is willing to do anything to win a second term
Ben Sulayem’s backpedalling on swearing doesn’t signal the end of his attempts at authoritarian rule over international motorsport. According to the BBC, the deeply unpopular president proposed changes to the FIA’s statutes ahead of this year’s election. The most significant proposal states a candidate can’t have anything on their record that “calls into question their professional integrity,” including potential conflicts of interest. The FIA bodies tasked with this vetting process are now controlled by Ben Sulayem after prior statutory changes last year. Yes, he would get to decide who gets to run against him.
Carlos Sainz Sr. has tossed his cap into the ring as a potential candidate. The 63-year-old World Rally Champion could be disqualified as a candidate because his son currently races in F1 and publicly criticised the swearing ban earlier this year. Around the same time, Ben Sulayem forced FIA officials to sign non-disclosure agreements just to learn of these proposed changes. The current FIA President is willing to go to absurd lengths to win a second term in office. These actions raise the question of whether he would try the FIA’s bylaws again so he could run for a third term.
