Formula One team bosses have been told to inform drivers to stop swearing over the radio in the wake of Max Verstappen’s furious rant at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver was irate after his struggles last weekend, which saw him sensationally collide with Lewis Hamilton during the closing stages.
‘No mate, don’t give me that s*** now,’ he told long-term race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase in one such case. ‘You guys gave me this s*** strategy, OK? I’m trying to rescue what’s left.’
Now, in the wake of his comments, team bosses have been told to inform their drivers to be mindful over their language during races.
According to The Times, the CEO of Formula One Group, Stefano Domenicali, reminded teams that it is important to be mindful of the fact that communication is broadcast live.
Max Verstappen has been ordered to pull the plug on late-night gaming sessions by Red Bull
CEO of Formula One Group, Stefano Domenicali, issued the message at a meeting on Tuesday
As it stands, drivers are not presently fined or summoned for language used on team radio, as long as it is not overly offensive.
Reflecting on the backlash over his comments, Verstappen said: ‘[If] people don’t like my language, then don’t listen in, turn the volume down.
‘I’m very driven [for] success, I think I’ve proven that already, I always want to optimise stuff, now people can argue that he might not be so vocal on the radio but that’s their ‘opinion.’
Verstappen also stated that he doesn’t feel he needs to apologise to his team regarding his vocal radio messages.
He said: ‘I don’t think we need to apologise, I think we just need to do a better job. I don’t know why people think we cannot be vocal on a radio. This is a sport. If some people don’t like that then stay home.’
Hamilton admitted that he laughed to himself following the incident, which he described as ‘hair raising’.
Verstappen is now winless in three races and McLaren’s Lando Norris (right) is closing the gap
Verstappen collided with Hamilton in the closing stages of the Hungarian Grand Prix
Verstappen had attempted to overtake Hamilton but ended up spinning off course
He said: ‘Obviously the close battle we had the end was a bit hair raising, but that’s motor racing.
‘It’s not nerve-wracking. When you see the pace at which they closed the gap in certain corners, you just laugh to yourself because it’s not something I can do.’
Meanwhile, Verstappen is set for a 10-place grid penalty at this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix after exceeding his engine allowance.