FIA slam racing star with €2,000 punishment after landmark win

The FIA have slammed a racing star with a €2,000 fine for swearing during a fan interview at a recent event sanctioned by the governing body.

It's not just F1 who have seen increased punishments for swearing during interviews, with drivers from the World Rally Championship also coming under fire in 2025.

At the Rally Estonia event this weekend, leader Oliver Solberg was handed a reprimand and a €2,000 suspended fine for swearing during a fan interview on Friday night.

The 23-year-old used the phrase “f***ing win” in front of fans, after he celebrated his first WRC stage win in Estonia.

Solberg was punished by the FIA because he swore during a ‘Meet The Crews’ session, which is defined as a ‘controlled zone’ for drivers.

A 'controlled zone' means that a driver's adrenaline is expected to be lower than when they first step out of the car. Therefore, there is less of an excuse for ‘inappropriate language’.

The FIA’s stewards released a report regarding the incident on Saturday morning where they explained their decision, and it read: “Both driver and competitor’s representative immediately admitted that the use of this word was inappropriate in this environment and apologised for this lapse. The driver further stated that he did not mean to offend or hurt anyone by using this word.”

“The stewards recognise that the word in question has become colloquial and is often used as an expression of emotion, particularly by the younger generation, but at the same time emphasise that the FIA remains committed to ensuring that inappropriate language is not used in any controlled area such as media conferences, during interviews and at the ceremonial start.”

What are the FIA’s swearing rules?

The FIA reduced their fines for swearing back in May, after widespread outcry from the motorsport community on the severity of these sanctions.

In the FIA’s original plans, drivers could be fined up to €40,000 (£33,700) for swearing in an interview, and double that plus a ban for a second offence.

At the beginning of 2025, Adrien Fourmaux was fined €10,000, with a further €20,000 suspended, for swearing in stage end interview in Sweden.

The World Rally Drivers Alliance branded the punishment as 'unacceptable' and added the fine was "vastly disproportionate to the average income and budget in rallying."

Eventually, the FIA reduced the fine for swearing, with a first offence worth up to €5,000 (£4,200) and the potential for a ban lifted. More severe penalties remain for serious offences however.

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