Sainz and Albon Oppose FIA’s Proposed Ban On F1 Drivers Swearing, Advocate For Authentic Radio Moments

Williams Formula 1 drivers Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon have voiced their opposition to the FIA’s move to introduce a system that could result in fines or suspensions for drivers who swear or criticize officials. The pair, speaking at the launch of the new Williams F1 car, argued that the proposed measures are misguided and fail to account for the intense pressure and emotions drivers experience behind the wheel.

Sainz, who recently joined Williams after losing his seat at Ferrari to Lewis Hamilton, was particularly vocal in his criticism of the FIA’s stance on driver radio communications. “What we say on the [car] radio, I don’t agree with what is happening,” the Spaniard said. “I think you can not be too tough on these kinds of things because you cannot understand the pressure and adrenaline and the way we feel in the car when we open the radio.”

The former Ferrari driver emphasized the importance of authentic radio moments in F1, arguing that they provide a genuine insight into the drivers’ experiences. “And I feel for F1 it is good to have those moments because you see the real driver,” Sainz explained. “We are already very constrained as F1 drivers to what we can tell you about our teams, about out situations. We already have a lot of media briefings. They already tell us what to say on the radio. But when you hear that passion, those words, even if sometimes we swear on the radio, for me that’s a keeper in F1 and it is something we shouldn’t get rid of.”

Albon, entering his fourth season with Williams, revealed that the drivers have already engaged in discussions about how to respond to the FIA’s move. “There have definitely been discussions about it,” the Thai-British driver confirmed. “It’s still ongoing about how we want to set out what we say around it. It is a delicate matter and, of course, do we think it’s right? Of course not.”

The FIA has yet to provide a detailed explanation of how the new system will be applied, although president Mohammed Ben Sulayem expressed his desire to curb drivers’ swearing while driving last year. Sainz noted that the drivers have not received any clarification from the governing body on the matter.