The Formula One Drivers’ Association (GPDA) has released its first official statement, addressing International Automobile Association (FIA) President Mohamed Ben Sulayem, in response to recent history of obscene remarks in the championship.
The GPDA, which is effectively the union of active Formula 1 drivers, urged Ben Sulayem to “watch his tone and language” when communicating with athletes. The association does not agree with the sanctioning of drivers Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) for obscene remarks, noting that there is a difference between an obscene insult and “ordinary swearing”. The Dutchman was sentenced to community service and the Monegasque was fined 10 thousand euros, 50% of which is a deferred fine.
— Our members are professional racers competing in Formula 1 races, the pinnacle of international motorsport. They are gladiators and they put on a great show for the fans every race weekend.
When it comes to swearing, there’s a difference between swear words intended to insult others and expressions you might use to describe bad weather or an inanimate object like a Formula 1 car or a situation on the track.
We also encourage the FIA President to be careful with his tone and language when speaking to or about our member drivers, whether in a public forum or otherwise. Additionally, our members are adults and do not need to be educated by the media on such trivial matters as wearing jewelry and underwear.
The GPDA has repeatedly expressed its view that financial penalties imposed on drivers are not appropriate for our sport. Over the past three years, we have asked the FIA President to share details and strategy regarding how FIA financial sanctions are distributed and where funds are spent. We also expressed our concerns about the negative image that financial sanctions give to sport. We once again ask the President of the FIA to guarantee financial transparency and a direct and open dialogue with us. All stakeholders (FIA, Formula 1, teams and GPDA) must jointly determine how and where money will be spent for the benefit of our sport, says the text of the statement, published on GPDA social media.
The director of the association is current Mercedes team driver George Russell and the president is former championship driver Alexander Wurz.
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Source : MatchTV
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
