Helmut Marko has urged the FIA to reconsider its decision to penalize Max Verstappen for using an expletive during an official press conference. Verstappen, a three-time F1 champion, was ordered to complete community service for using the f-word, with the FIA emphasizing his responsibility to set an example. This decision follows a similar incident last year, where Mercedes’ Toto Wolff and Ferrari’s Fred Vasseur received only formal warnings for the same offense.
Although Verstappen attended press conferences in Singapore, he kept his answers brief and later spoke to the press more informally in the paddock. Marko believes Verstappen acted appropriately and criticized the FIA for making an example of him, noting that the expletive is commonly used in motorsport and was not directed at a person. He also pointed out that Haas team principal Guenther Steiner frequently uses such language on the Netflix series “Drive to Survive” without facing any repercussions.
Marko feels the issue has been exaggerated and praised Verstappen for handling the situation well by making his feelings clear during the press conference. He also defended Verstappen’s stance that emotions in Formula 1 make it hard to always control language, especially in high-pressure situations.
Verstappen later expressed frustration with the growing restrictions on driver behavior, hinting he might leave F1 sooner than expected if drivers continue to be constrained by rules that, in his view, take the fun out of the sport. Marko echoed this sentiment, stating that drivers need to retain the joy and excitement in their work, and called for the FIA to adopt a more lenient approach, allowing drivers to express themselves freely.
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