'Doesn’t Mean Anything': George Russell's Frosty Reply To FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem Amidst F1 Swearing Ban
The FIA implemented a ban on drivers swearing during races and press conferences which has received massive backlash from the Formula One grid.
- SportFit
- 2 min read

The swearing ban which was put in all FIA regulated sports in 2024 has been a hot topic in Formula One since last season. FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem had placed a ban on drivers swearing inside the car or in press conferences and if a driver was found in violation of this rule, the driver would be fined. The first victim to this rule which the drivers consider ‘draconian’ was defending champion Max Verstappen. The F1 drivers have been quite angry due to this rule being implemented in the sport as they consider it natural to swear when full of adrenaline and driving at extremely high speeds.
FIA President Claims He Has Received Constructive Feedback
In an Instagram post made recently by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, he claimed that he has talked to the drivers and received constructive feedback on the ban that was placed on swearing during the races and press conferences. In the Instagram post, Ben Sulayem also stated that the FIA is considering relaxing the swearing rule that has been put in place.
Following the Instagram post by Ben Sulayem, Mercedes driver George Russell remains unimpressed as he claims that the letter that the Grand Prix Drivers Association had sent to Ben Sulayem had gone unacknowledged and he was surprised that the FIA president was claiming that there was dialogue.
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Russell Hits Back At Ben Sulayem's Claims Of Active Dialogue
George Russell when asked about the claims that Ben Sulayem has been making, the Mercedes driver replied with, “doesn’t mean anything.”
"Obviously we want to see these things put into action, rather than saying ‘We’re considering things.’ You know, we all ‘consider’ a lot of things,” said George Russell as he hit back against the claims made by the FIA president.
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Ben Sulayem has also been involved in clashes with several other drivers on the grid, including seven time World Champion Lewis Hamilton due to implementing a ban on jewelry in the car which angered the former Mercedes and now Ferrari driver.