A little swear can sometimes fly off the tongue, but these drivers could get fined more than you earn in a year for letting one slip out.
This year, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (better known as the FIA) has taken a hard line against professional drivers by banning swearing.
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If you don’t know what the FIA is, you’ll know what it’s the governing body for. The FIA currently governs Formula One, the World Rally Championship, the World Endurance Championship, and Formula E, just to name a few.
Known for garnering online criticism for its strict off- and on-track rules, this new fine could be one of the most controversial in the sport.
Here’s everything you need to know about the swearing ban.
Can race drivers really get fined for swearing?
Yes, any of those aforementioned racing series covered under the FIA governing body could receive a fine for swearing under Appendix 12.2.1 of the 2025 International Sporting Code.
This section already existed, but there has been an extension that will now mean that the FIA will come down harder on these drivers.
Previously, only Formula One was under scrutiny, and the penalty for swearing in a press conference was some community service. The new rules could mean a fine worth tens of thousands for swearing over the radio, even while under pressure during a race.
Driver radio is currently aired on the live ‘global feed’ during F1 events. A minor delay enables censorship of swearing, and conscious decisions are made about which radio communications are broadcast.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem says it is part of cleaning up the sport’s act and making it more family-friendly.
Sulayem told British publication Autosport: “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]”.
Increasing penalties now apply with a €40,000 ($AUD66,200) fine for the first offence, €80,000 ($AUD132,300) for a second offence, and €120,000 ($AUD198,500) as well as a one-month ban from racing.
George Russell could be the first F1 driver to be hit with the new fines after saying “Oh s***” in a pitlane interview during pre-season testing this week.
But what do the drivers think about this ban?
Public perception of the swearing ban
Perhaps one of the loudest opponents of the ban comes from the World Rally Championship (WRC) race series. Hyundai team driver Adrien Fourmaux was fined €30,000 ($AUD50,000) for using the F-word on a live stream.
The World Rally Drivers Alliance (WoRDA) responded with a statement calling the fines “vastly disproportionate to the average income and budget in rallying” comparing rally drivers’ salaries to those of the Formula One field.
WoRDA would be correct in saying that, among the WRC field, Thierry Neuville is claimed to be the highest-paid driver in 2025 with a salary of around $3.2 million (not including brand deals), while in F1 Max Verstappen is set to earn around $100 million in 2025, not including bonuses.
The statement further criticises where the money actually goes from these fines.
“This also raises a fundamental question: where does the money from these fines go? The lack of transparency only amplifies concerns and undermines confidence in the system. Surely the negative impressions surrounding these penalties far outweigh the impact of any language lapse,” the statement goes on further to say.
This has also been a similar question from fans.
“I still can’t believe FIA blatantly never answered regarding the money from the fines. It’s not the first time it’s being questioned,” said one Reddit user.
“I love this so much. There needs to be a full-scale rebellion against the FIA at this point to drive the statement home and show that drivers aren’t going to take being penalised over frivolous s*** like this,” wrote another.
What do you think of the swearing ban? Should drivers be allowed to speak their minds on TV without the fear of a massive fine? Let us know in the comments below.
The post ‘Vastly disproportionate’: These drivers get a whopping fine for swearing appeared first on Drive.