FIA steward Herbert justifies Verstappen swearing sanction

Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert, who officiates as an FIA steward, has shed light on the rationale behind the sanction levied upon Max Verstappen for swearing.

Herbert also offered his perspective on claims that FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem's comments regarding driver discourse "antagonized" the F1 grid.

Verstappen was hit with a community service order for using the F-word while discussing his car in an official FIA press conference at Marina Bay.

However, the punishment came shortly after Ben Sulayem’s remarks in an interview with Motorsport.com, where he emphasized the need for drivers to avoid using offensive language in public.

While some speculated that Verstappen’s penalty was a direct response to Ben Sulayem's call for cleaner language, Herbert clarified that the stewards’ decision was not solely driven by the FIA president’s new mantra.

"At the press conference in Singapore, Max used the 'F' word about his car. The press conferences are beamed around the world," the former Grand Prix driver told CasinoHawks.

"There is more swearing than there ever has been. A press conference is not the place for it. Some journalists have said the sport is trying to make robots out of the drivers. That's not the case. You are just asking them not to swear, which I think is the right thing. Most drivers don't swear."

Herbert, who was among the stewards reviewing the incident, shared details of their conversation with Verstappen.

"The incident was referred to us as stewards,” he added. “We had a good, open chat with Max for about 20 minutes, half an hour, in what was a difficult situation.

"You could see in his face he was really worked up about it. But when he left, he appeared to be mollified about the process and why it's there. He did not blame us as stewards.

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"As stewards, we have a range of tools to punish drivers. We are there to implement the rules and make a decision together. We could have fined him, but we felt it would be more beneficial to get him to do something socially responsible. It is up to Max and the FIA what that is.

"It all blew up afterwards because he went to the press conference and gave one-word answers then held his own impromptu press conference outside in the paddock.

"That showed Max's rebellious streak. I love that side of him, it is what makes Max Max, his honest and outspoken character. But there is a time and a place. Personally, I think there is too much swearing. I don't want my five-year-old grandchild listening to that sort of language."

Herbert went on to address the tension sparked by Ben Sulayem’s initial comments, particularly among the drivers, many of whom felt "antagonised” according to the Briton, including Lewis Hamilton, who took issue with the FIA president’s comparison to rap music, believing there was a racial component to the analogy.

“That did not go down very well with the drivers who were antagonised, especially Lewis who felt it was a racial slur,” Herbert explained.

"The drivers were not happy about it. They all bandied together with Max. I have noticed that the drivers are a much closer-knit bunch than I have seen for many years. They have much stronger opinions on issues.”

Reflecting on the broader implications of Ben Sulayem's stance on swearing, Herbert emphasized the need for cooperation between drivers and the FIA moving forward.

"Swearing is something Ben Sulayem is wanting to stamp out,” he said. “You can’t do much in the heat of the moment during a race in the car when emotion comes out.

"I hope common sense prevails on F1 drivers swearing moving forward - the drivers and FIA need to work together.

"There has to be an understanding that both sides need to work together. I know the FIA President is unhappy with foul language.

"There is an understanding among drivers that swearing at a press conference is not right. It is just something that built up from the president's initial 'rappers' comment, which some found offensive, to then Max being dragged before the stewards in Singapore.”

Herbert concluded by noting that a meeting with the drivers has already taken place, where at least one driver expressed that swearing was inappropriate, especially given their role model status.

"There are many youngsters around the world who love the sport and worship the drivers. Drivers have to understand that they are role models,” he concluded.

"We made the decision that there was a case to answer if you like. It is between Max and the FIA to agree what the sanction should be and what it would be. That part is out of our control."

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