George Russell breaks silence on FIA 'point deductions' and 'race bans' as strict swearing rules confirmed for 2025

Head of the GPDA, George Russell, has spoken out on the new FIA rules on swearing for 2025.

All 20 F1 drivers will be in attendance at the O2 on Tuesday evening, with every team releasing their new 2025 car livery in a special launch event to celebrate 75 years of the sport.

Ahead of the event, the hottest topic of discussion was the FIA's controversial new rules around swearing and misconduct, with world champion Max Verstappen being hit with community service last year for swearing during an interview.

The new rules were outlined in January, with a drivers now forced to abide to a three tier penalty system that could result in point deductions and even month long bans.

“Any words, deeds, or writing that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally interest of motorsport on the values defender by the FIA," the FIA’s 2025 International Sporting Code states.

For a driver’s first offence, they will be handed a €10,000. For a second breach, they will be slapped with a €20,000 fine plus a one-month suspension, which is suspended.

Then if article 12.2.1 is breached for a third time, this will result in a €30,000 fine plus a one-month suspension – to be served – alongside deductions of unspecified championship points.

The new guidelines also state that FIA stewards "have the authority to decide what penalty to enforce" and "retain the discretion to take into account any mitigating and/or aggravating circumstances as well as the nature and the location of the event”.

Speaking to the media at F175, Russell claimed the FIA could be going too far with their new sporting code, but admitted certain measures should be in place.

“As an individual it’s going quite far with everything," Russell said.

“As drivers we do show personality but I do think there is merit and no need to swear in an environment like this [press conference]."

George Russell at F175- F1

However, the Mercedes driver explained that the high pressure environment of motorsport, mixed with the language barrier a lot of the drivers face make the punishments slightly extreme.

"But ultimately, especially for the guys where English isn’t their first language, the first thing you get taught are the swear words," he added.

“All the Italian words he’s [Kimi Antonelli] teaching me are the swear words, so I don’t really know to be honest.”

Russell's influence in these matters shouldn't be understated, given he is the current head of the GPDA, an organisation responsible for looking after the safety and welfare of the drivers.

The GPDA sent the world of F1 into storm when they originally responded to Verstappen's penalty last November with a lenghty statement calling out the FIA.

An extract from the statement read: "With regards to swearing, there is a difference between swearing intended to insult others and more casual swearing, such as you might use to describe bad weather, or indeed an inanimate object such as a Formula 1 car, or a driving situation."