Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal, confirmed his backing for FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s initiative to limit swearing by drivers in Formula 1. While Wolff often finds himself at odds with Ben Sulayem on various issues, he believes the effort to improve drivers’ public image is a worthwhile cause.
As the father of a 7-year-old who watches everything in the sport, Wolff admitted that limiting profanity would be beneficial. He stated that “all drivers are role models” for the young fans who follow Grands Prix.
Toto Wolff’s comments
Toto Wolff explained: “I have a seven-year-old who goes karting and watches everything. A few months ago, for the first time, he said ‘what the f**k,’ and I asked him, ‘Where did you hear that?’ He said, ‘From the drivers.’”
“So, while I have my disagreements with Mohammed, in this case, the drivers—all the drivers—are role models. They are on air, they have a platform, and they hold a lot of influence,” he added. “I don’t agree with many other things Ben Sulayem has implemented, but on this, I think if you translate ‘f**k’ into your language or mine, it’s quite rude. I’d never say it over the radio.”
Wolff had already discussed the matter with his drivers, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, who understood his preference for avoiding profanity on the radio.
The Mercedes team boss stated: “George, Lewis, and I have had this conversation, and they know I don’t like it. So, I completely agree that we can really limit it.”
“There are a handful of drivers, some native speakers, others not, who come out with this kind of language. Personally, I’d be happy to sanction it even more. That’s just my opinion,” the Austrian concluded.
… and Ben Sulayem’s stance
Ben Sulayem has been working to curb swearing in the sport since before the Singapore GP. That weekend, four-time world champion Max Verstappen was penalized for using a swear word during a press conference.
The Dutch driver was handed a day of community service by the FIA, which he fulfilled during his visit to the official awards gala in Rwanda last week. Many drivers were surprised and opposed to this “punishment.” Later, Charles Leclerc also let slip a swear word during a press conference and was fined by the FIA.
This situation has drawn criticism from drivers and others. For those competing in F1, it’s often difficult to filter what they say. The sport is adrenaline-fueled, and when drivers narrowly avoid a collision or face other high-speed, potentially dangerous incidents on track, they are likely to vent on the radio. Some drivers have previously argued that, while F1 involves live radio, if a microphone were given to a football player, for example, they’d probably swear too.
However, Ben Sulayem wants drivers to understand their responsibility as role models for fans, particularly younger ones. The FIA president remains convinced that addressing profanity is the right thing to do.
When asked whether he thought this issue was worth pursuing, given the backlash, Ben Sulayem said: “Fighting? To clean up the sport, yes.”
“But did I write these rules about swearing? Did I implement and enforce them? I ask you, because it’s the stewards. Not me. It’s the stewards. So, go and ask them, why is it this way?” he added.
He continued, saying: “We are sending a message to young people of all ages with this. And, excuse me, but advertisements or movies are rated appropriately.”
The FIA president believes today’s drivers should reflect on the behavior of iconic athletes from the past.
He stated: “Do we have to swear? Honestly…
Did Michael Schumacher swear? Did Muhammad Ali? He said he had a big mouth. But did he ever swear? Did Pelé?”
“We’re in a truly unique sport, and we need to protect it from profanity. Profanity I will never agree with,” he concluded.
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