Verstappen restricts answers after ‘ridiculous’ swearing punishment

Max Verstappen says his punishment for swearing is “ridiculous” after initially protesting against the penalty by giving short answers in an official news conference.

The Red Bull driver has been ordered by governing body the FIA to “accomplish some work of public interest” after using bad language to describe his car on Thursday.

After restricting his answers in the news conference following Singapore Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday, Verstappen agreed to speak to the media outside the room.

The world champion said: “I find it of course ridiculous what happened, so why should I then give full answers?

“Because it’s very easily apparent you get a fine or some kind of penalty.

“So I prefer not to speak a lot, save my voice. We can do the interviews also somewhere else if you need some answers or questions asked.”

McLaren’s Lando Norris, who took pole for the race ahead of Verstappen, said he thought the Dutchman’s penalty was “pretty unfair”, adding: “I don’t agree with any of it.”

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who qualified third, said the penalty was “a bit of a joke” and that Verstappen should refuse to do whatever punishment the FIA demanded.

“It’s the pinnacle of the sport,” the seven-time champion said. “Mistakes are made. I certainly wouldn’t be doing it and I hope Max doesn’t do it.”

Verstappen said he had been punished to “set a precedent” and that “with me they wanted to set an even bigger example I guess, which for me is a bit weird, because I didn’t swear at anyone. I just said one thing about my car.”

And he said that he did not hold the decision against the stewards for the weekend, who include former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert.

Verstappen said: “It’s in the (FIA sporting) code. They have to follow the book. I don’t want to blame this on the stewards because I actually had a really good chat with them. They just have to follow the code in the book. I think they are quite understanding. It’s difficult for them as well.”

His words are a reference to FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who triggered the controversy with an interview in which he said he wanted drivers not to swear in their cars.

The remarks, to Autosport magazine, related to the use of team radio in television and radio broadcasts. Transmissions are vetted and broadcast on delay and swear words are bleeped out.

Ben Sulayem’s comments annoyed the drivers, and it seems that Verstappen’s animated behaviour in Thursday’s official news conference was at least partly influenced by them.

He said he had support from his fellow drivers.

“Of course some speak out more than others,” Verstappen said, “but in general it is quite clear what everyone thinks.”

Ben Sulayem’s comments also seem to mark a retreat from a pledge he made early last year, when he said he would be taking a step back from direct involvement in F1.

In the interview, Ben Sulayem said that F1 had to “differentiate between our sport - motorsport - and rap music”, adding: “We’re not rappers, you know. They say the f-word how many times per minute? We are not on that. That’s them and we are [us].”

Hamilton accused Ben Sulayem of using “stereotypical” language with a “racial element”, saying: “If you think about it, most rappers are black.

“So when it says: ‘We are not like them’, those are the wrong choice of words.”