Verstappen Protests FIA Punishment for Swearing

Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, staged a protest against the FIA's decision to sanction him for using an expletive during a pre-Singapore Grand Prix news conference. He was given a community service punishment for his actions, which he deemed "ridiculous" and an attempt to set a precedent.

Verstappen believes that swearing is a normal part of everyday life and that Formula 1 should not air team radio if the sport is concerned about bad language. He suggested that the sport could address the issue by introducing delays or using censoring tools in broadcasts, rather than punishing drivers. Verstappen's protest involved giving deliberately short answers during the official post-qualifying press conference, jokingly saying it was "something with my voice". He later conducted a separate session outside the official press conference, where he expressed his discontent with the punishment, stating that it was "ridiculous" and that he was being treated harshly.