Nico Hulkenberg Pushes Back Against FIA Over Swearing Ban

Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg has shared his perspective on the FIA's stricter swearing ban, offering a contrasting view to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who targeted drivers for swearing last year.

While the German driver admitted that swearing is not part of his on-camera demeanor, he questioned the updated regulations that impose hefty fines and race bans for such behavior. Hulkenberg argued that fans "love to see the emotions in athletes," which naturally surface under high adrenaline, rather than watching them suppress their feelings.

The FIA introduced stricter regulations aimed at curbing what it deems as ‘misconduct,’ which includes offensive gestures, inappropriate behavior, and the use of insulting language. Drivers must adhere to these new rules, as a first-time offense incurs a €40,000 fine, while repeated violations escalate to an €80,000 fine and a suspended one-month ban. A third offense comes with even harsher consequences, including a €120,000 fine, an enforced ban, and the potential loss of championship points.

Max Verstappen became the first driver last year to receive a one-day community service penalty for using an F-bomb directed at his RB20 F1 car during a press conference at the Singapore Grand Prix. Although the updated fine system was not yet in place, he was required to complete his penalty in Africa during his visit for the FIA awards ceremony. So far, no F1 driver has been penalized under the new rules, despite George Russell and Verstappen displaying behavior that could have warranted fines during testing.

This is largely because their incidents took place during pre-season testing in Bahrain, before the official start of the F1 season. Meanwhile, Hulkenberg wonders why the rules exist in the first place and if it is so necessary to have them, since the issue has never been spoken about in the past, despite drivers swearing on camera. He told Motorsport-Magazin:

"In the past, I have never heard people, fans or outsiders, complaining about the way Formula 1 drivers communicate or that we are bad role models.

"On the contrary, I think people love to see the emotions in athletes and that they can also simply say what they think and how they feel."

Hulkenberg said that F1 makes it more difficult for drivers to control themselves as they are constantly being recorded by cameras during and after the Grands Prix when their adrenaline levels are still high. He added:

"It is also somewhat home-made in Formula 1: If you compare it with other sports, there is hardly a sport in which all the participating athletes appear in front of 15 TV cameras and print journalists immediately after the competition.

"You're still pumped full of adrenaline and there's nothing inhuman about emotions running high in the heat of the moment and using a word you wouldn't normally use.

"I was never someone who qualified for this rule when I look back on my career. I'm not known for that."