Max Verstappen penalized for swearing at Singapore FIA ​​GP press conference | Formula 1

Max Verstappen has been penalised by Formula One for swearing immediately after the world champion and other drivers responded to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem's demand that drivers stop using foul language. It is an argument that Verstappen is expected to return to forcefully during this weekend's meeting in Singapore.

Earlier this week, Ben Sulayem said: “We have to differentiate between our sport – motorsport – and rap music. We are not rappers, you know. How many times a minute do they say the F-word? We are not there. They are and we are [us]“.

Lewis Hamilton then accused him of using stereotypical prejudices with “racist elements” when quoting rap artists. Both Verstappen and his title rival Lando Norris stressed that occasional swearing is part of the enormous demands and emotional pressure that come with participating in a dangerous sport.

Verstappen then swore in the televised FIA press conference on Thursday, describing his car as “shitty” on the final lap in Baku. Less than 24 hours later, he was summoned to the race stewards and, after a 13-minute hearing, given a penalty for using language deemed “crude, rude or offensive” under the rules. He is expected to carry out “a work of public interest yet to be defined”.

FIA regulations make it clear that drivers are expected to be role models and must not use words or actions that can cause “moral injury”. The FIA ​​statement said Verstappen had apologised and argued that “the driver explained that the word used was normal in everyday language as English is not his mother tongue”. This argument was rejected.

The governing body's decision will only make a difficult weekend in Singapore even worse for the world champion. He goes into the race 59 points ahead of Norris, but the Red Bull is expected to struggle at the Marina Bay Circuit.

With seven meetings remaining and 206 points up for grabs, Norris needs to outperform Verstappen by an average of nine points per race. While that is a tall order, the target could be significantly lowered if Norris wins and Verstappen performs poorly in Singapore.

That the Dutchman and Red Bull are taking nothing for granted was evident before this round when they announced they would drop the fan-inspired designs on their car for this race and the following US GP. The decision was made after the team determined that the new design would add around 1kg of weight, which equates to around three hundredths of a second per lap. That's a tiny difference, but shows how much Red Bull feels they need to step on the gas now.

Their car has suffered from a lack of balance since the Miami GP and Verstappen has not won since the Spanish GP on June 23, eight races ago. They believe they are working on a solution, but it will not be available until Austin, while Singapore, the only race Red Bull has not won in 2023, a grueling sequence of 19 corners on a bumpy street circuit with sharp kerbs, is the least suitable of the year for the RB20.

Last season, neither Verstappen nor his teammate Sergio Pérez made it to the final qualifying round. The Dutchman did manage to finish fifth, but in a car that was dominant and did not have the weaknesses of the current model. Moreover, their lead over the competition has all but disappeared this season.

Verstappen was noticeably reserved before the weekend and admitted that it “should be possible” to get into the top 10 in qualifying. However, “a small miracle” would be needed for a win.

Overtaking in Marina Bay is difficult, especially without a big speed advantage, which the Red Bull no longer has.

The training in Singapore did not bode well for the world champion. While he was fourth in the non-representative day race of the first training session, in the second run under floodlights at night he only managed 15th place due to a lack of grip.

Pérez was only marginally better in eighth, while Norris was quickest ahead of Charles Leclerc and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz. The Scuderia and his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri are likely to pose the biggest threat to Norris if he wants to gain points in the title fight.

McLaren confirmed in Singapore that they will modify the rear wing they used at the last race in Baku after complaints about its legality, including from Red Bull. The wing had passed the FIA's legality tests but was found to be flexy at high speed in Baku. After discussions with the FIA, the team has agreed to modify the design, but this is only for the specification used for high-speed, low-drag tracks such as Baku and Monza, which will likely be used in Las Vegas in November.