Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff intervened during the press conference held at the end of the second morning session of the Bahrain tests. Wolff focused on the issue of the FIA’s condemnation of drivers’ vulgar language. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were the first to be penalized last year for using vulgar words.
According to the Team Principal, the Federation should adopt a less rigid guideline. Toto Wolff suggests making a distinction between words used with the intent to offend someone and those used in a moment of excitement during races. The Mercedes Team Principal partially agrees with the FIA but believes the Federation should also consider the context and intentions before imposing any penalties.
Words from the Team Principal According to Toto Wolff, respect must be at the foundation of everything. Drivers and all team members must be role models: “For me, it’s about respect. Respect for competitors, respect for officials, we don’t provoke anyone, whether it’s your people or an opponent on the track.” – he pointed out.
Toto Wolff emphasized the importance of the context and how these words are used: “Why am I using it if I’m annoyed, but when it’s directed in the car at a driver, an official, or the team, I think that’s what we need to ban. And we need to make a distinction, in my opinion, between these two. We don’t want to silence drivers and their emotions.”
However, this kind of language is unacceptable during press conferences: “If we’re in a press conference, if we’re being interviewed, this is a completely different thing. But in the race cars, as long as it’s not a provocation, and as long as it’s not disrespectful toward someone else, I’d let it slide, but that’s my habit.”
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