Toto Wolff wants to see drivers punished for swearing (Image: Getty)
team principal appeared to blame for his seven-year-old son swearing. Wolff is at odds with the star over swear-gate, which saw the driver face a punishment for swearing during an FIA press conference earlier this season.
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been keen to clamp down on bad language this season. Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have both been sanctioned for bad language during race weekends.
The Grand Prix Drivers’ Association asked to be treated as adults in an open letter in November. The letter argued that there is a difference behind casual swearing, and swearing with the intention of offending someone.
However, Wolff has revealed that he reprimanded his seven-year-old son earlier in the season after he said, “What the f***?” the Austrian is content with plans to punish drivers who swear in press conferences and in the cockpits of their cars, with viewers able to listen to radio messages on live broadcasts.
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“I have a thing about the swearing. Like George [Russell] said, he has an eight-year-old nephew who go-karts and watches all of that,” Wolff said.
“I have a similar seven-year-old that go-karts, that watches everything. It’s the first time a few months ago that he said, ‘What the f***’? And I said, ‘Where did you hear that from?’ He said, ‘From the drivers’.
“I have my conflicts with Mohammed [Ben Sulayem], but in that instance, the drivers, all drivers are role models and are on-air.
“They are entitled, empowered, and it is agreed with many other things. If you translate, the word f*** in my language is pretty rude. I would never say that on the radio. And George and I and Lewis [Hamilton], we had these conversations.
Max Verstappen was punished for swearing earlier this season (Image: Getty)
“They know I don’t like it, so I’m perfectly fine, which we were able to really limit that thing. It was a handful of drivers, some native, some not, that come out with the things, and for me, I’d be happy to sanction that even more. Maybe you don’t share my opinion there.”
Verstappen was ordered to “accomplish some work of public interest” for swearing in a press conference earlier in the season. He subsequently restricted his answers to a few words at his next meeting with the assembled media.
The four-time world champion later reflected: “I find it of course ridiculous what happened, so why should I then give full answers? Because it’s very easily apparent you get a fine or some kind of penalty.
“So I prefer not to speak a lot, save my voice. We can do the interviews also somewhere else if you need some answers or questions asked.”