Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports/Getty
Topics: Max Verstappen, Formula 1
Tom Jenkins
Max Verstappen has hit back at FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem after he suggested F1 drivers sound too much like 'rappers' on the team radio.
F1 team radios have long been a fan favourite way to follow a driver's progress throughout a race weekend as they offer a great insight into race strategy as well as how a driver is feeling in the cockpit.
With such transparent access to a high-stress environment, it isn't surprising that viewers at home hear some rather X-rated messages from their favourite drivers.
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All of these explicit messages will be censored for viewers tuning in, however, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out what they might be saying...
While most people accept this is part and parcel of a sport like F1, the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has a very different opinion.
He told Motorsport.com : “We're not rappers, you know. They say the F-word how many times per minute? We are not on that. That's them and we are [us].
“Because imagine you are sitting with your children and watching the race and then someone is saying all of this dirty language. I mean, what would your children or grandchildren say? What would you teach them if that is your sport?” He added.
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This has unsurprisingly not gone down too well with fans online, and F1 world champion Max Verstappen has become the first driver to publically call out the comments.
Speaking ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, Verstappen held nothing back.
"I couldn't even say the F-word and it's not even that bad right? I mean the car was not working, the car is effed, and excuse me for the language but come on, what are we? Five-year-olds? Six-year-olds? Even if a five-year-old or six-year-old is watching they will eventually swear anyway, this is not changing anything," he explained.
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It could be another weekend of X-rated radio messages for the Dutchman, as his Red Bull team are expected to struggle again at the Marina Bay Circuit this weekend.
Verstappen currently remains top of the F1 driver championship with McLaren's Lando Norris 59 points behind with seven races remaining.