‘Are we five?’ fumes Max Verstappen as F1 star snaps after being told off in Singapore press conference
MAX Verstappen has hit back at the FIA after being told to cut back on his swearing.
The reigning F1 World Champion turned the air blue as he addressed the media ahead of Sunday’s Singapore GP.
Verstappen finished fifth in Baku last weekend and claimed his Red Bull car was “f**cked” from Q1 onwards.
Asked on Thursday why teammate Sergio Perez appeared to have the upper hand in Azerbaijan, Max replied: “I don’t know, man, different setup.”
“So, as soon as I went into qualifying, I knew the car was f**ked.”
Tom Clarkson, hosting the press conference, immediately intervened to apologize for the profanity.
He told Verstappen to “watch his language going forward.”
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem recently requested teams to tone down swearing during public events and on track mics.
He told Motorsport.com: “I mean, we have to differentiate between our sport – motorsport – and rap music.
“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].”
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But a frustrated Verstappen let rip when a reporter asked for his thoughts on the request.
The three-time F1 champ shrugged: “Everyone swears.
“Some people a bit more than others. It also depends a bit on what language you speak.”
Referencing his previous comment about his car, Verstappen continued: “I mean, it’s not even that bad, right? I mean, the car was not working.
“The car is ‘effed’, yeah, and then ‘excuse me for the language’, but come on, what are we? Five-year-olds, six-year-olds?
“Even if a five-year-old or six-year-old is watching, I mean, they will eventually swear anyway, even if the parents will not allow it.
“When they grow up, they will walk around with their friends and they will be swearing. So, you know, this is not changing anything.”
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Verstappen won 19 out of 23 races in 2023 on his way to the title.
But 2024 has proved a tougher year, despite the Dutchman currently leading the drivers standings with 313 points.
Verstappen has not won since topping a podium way back in June at the Spanish Grand Prix.