MIAMI (Reuters) – George Russell said Formula One drivers wanted more than words from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in a lukewarm response to a mooted change in the rules concerning punishment for misconduct, including swearing.
Ben Sulayem, the Emirati head of the governing body, said on Instagram this week that he was considering “improvements” to Appendix B of the FIA’s International Sporting Code after feedback from drivers across several series.
Rally drivers had been up in arms over stiff fines imposed for swearing, as had their F1 contemporaries.
Asked at the Miami Grand Prix on Thursday if he saw Ben Sulayem’s words as a positive step, Mercedes driver Russell — a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA) — replied: “Conceptually, yes.
“But obviously we want to see these things put into action rather than saying ‘we’re considering things’. We all consider a lot of things.
“We’re clear, we want changes. And once they are implemented, then we’ll comment on it. But for the time being it’s being considered. The words don’t mean anything until the change has been made.”
Appendix B covers stewards’ penalty guidelines, setting out punishments for misconduct including words, deeds or writings that might have caused moral injury to the FIA or motorsport in general.
A first offence in Formula One incurs a 40,000 euro ($46,000) fine, rising to 80,000 for the second and 120,000 with a one-month suspension and deduction of championship points for a third breach.
Ben Sulayem’s term in office runs out this year and he is expected to seek renewal. No rival candidate has emerged to date.
“It’ll be great if changes were made and the drivers were at least heard,” said Russell. “And I think it’s just in the best interest for the sport and ensuring that some common sense is sort of applied to these situations,” he added.
“But as I said, I think all of us can comment on it when we see the action being taken, rather than just the consideration.”
Russell said the GPDA was set up to talk about safety rather than politics but he was now talking more and more about other subjects.
“We find ourselves in a time where we’re not focused on the things why we’re all here,” he added.
“We’re here to go racing, we’re here to create the best show for the fans, to have the fastest cars, the safest cars, the best technology, the best engineering, and yet we talk about fines and punishments and swearing.”
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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