GPDA Chairman Makes Urgent Plea To Save F1 Drivers From Updated FIA Rules

The chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, Alex Wurz, has asked Formula 1 to beep swear words uttered by drivers to ensure the wrong message isn't sent out to young fans and to protect the drivers from attracting potential penalties.

He revealed his preference for clean language but acknowledged that emotions run high during race weekends, making occasional outbursts inevitable. The statement arrived days after the FIA released new regulations to address swearing.

The FIA, under President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has introduced strict penalties for verbal misconduct, targeting offensive language, gestures, and criticism of the governing body. The new rules clearly define misconduct and allegedly impose severe consequences for violations. Penalties include fines of up to €120,000, potential points deductions, and even race bans for repeat offenses.

The subject of swearing became a big controversy in the premier class of motorsport last year after Max Verstappen was penalized for dropping an F-bomb in a press conference during the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, aimed at his F1 car. The four-time world champion had to serve a one-day community service penalty for the infringement.

Wurz suggested that F1 drivers do not intend to break the rules but acknowledged that swearing can happen in high-pressure moments. He believes live feed controllers should censor such instances to prevent them from being broadcast. Speaking to RacingNews365, he said:

"It's a big topic, obviously. Maybe bigger in the media than it is within our [the GPDA's] ranks.

"I think everyone is aware that drivers are role models, that there is a responsibility coming from that and with that.

"And I don't know any one of the drivers who want to rebel, but we have to also see that in the heat of the moment, there are some times where maybe a word slips out of your brain through the mouth, and then it's on a microphone.

"So we also hope that the controllers of the [television] feeds use the beeps and also protect the drivers, in a sense [and that] as a whole industry, we are giving a good example to the world, to the young kids."

Wurz stressed the need to have better channels of communication between 'key stakeholders' in the sport, hinting at F1 and the governing body. He added:

"I have young kids, I want them to grow up as protected as possible, but there is a real world out there as well.

"So I would think if you have direct communication with each other, aiming to give achievable targets together, then we will achieve that.

"That's what we've done in the past, the last few years, the GPDA - and I'm the chairman of this organisation.

"We are always happy if we're having a direct dialogue with the key stakeholders."