Williams driver Carlos Sainz was responding to being fined by the stewards when he risked another FIA sanction by swearing in a press conference at the Bahrain Grand Prix
The FIA has decided against referring Carlos Sainz to the the stewards after he turned the air blue in a press conference at the Bahrain Grand Prix. The Spanish Formula 1 racer swore as he responded to being given a fine for being a few second late to the national anthem ceremony in Japan last week.
Sainz was backed up by a medical doctor, who told the stewards that his tardiness was because he was being treated for stomach discomfort before the Japanese Grand Prix. Still, though, he was fined £17,000 and told to make sure he is not late in future.
Reacting to that punishment for the first time on Thursday, ahead of this weekend’s Bahrain race, Sainz made it clear he was unhappy. “I’m the biggest supporter of punctuality… I was the first one to put my hand up and say, ‘I’m late, I’m sorry for that’,” he said.
“At the same time, I was five seconds late. For me it’s out of the question that we’re having to pay these fines. I don’t know if I’m going to get another fine for saying this, but s*** happens, you know? It’s the way it is.”
The Williams driver’s use of an expletive immediately put him at risk of a further fine. New, much stricter rules are in place this year which mean drivers can be fined, banned and even docked championship points for a swathe of different acts that amount to ‘misconduct’, including swearing.
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It has now been confirmed, though, that Sainz is no longer at risk for his slip of the tongue. The Spaniard has vowed to make up for his actions and will not be referred to the stewards this time.
An FIA spokesperson said: “Carlos was very apologetic and admitted that the language he used was not right. He said he would make amends. He has not been referred to the stewards.”
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It is up to the FIA’s dedicated media delegate to refer a driver to the stewards if they feel their conduct has breached the International Sporting Code. The media delegate was in the room at the time of Sainz’s expletive and said after the press conference that he would speak with the Williams driver before deciding what to do.
George Russell, who like Sainz is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, backed his fellow racer when asked for his take on the punishment for being late to the national anthem, which also involved a swift trip to the toilets.
“It’s a pretty expensive poo!” the Mercedes driver joked. “It’s not quite as straightforward as people think for us to be there on time. We’re often running to the toilet and sometimes there are none available between the time you jump out of the car and go to the anthem and then you get stopped by some people on the grid or people asking for a quick interview.
“So it’s not like we’ve got one sole job and that’s only it. We’re trying to take our moment for the grand prix and being there on that minute is sometimes not straightforward. I appreciate it from F1’s perspective because it’s a very important moment of the race, but also from a driver’s perspective there are hard, genuine logistical issues that sometimes you’re literally waiting to get into a bathroom cubicle.”
