Lando Norris risks FIA's wrath with F-bomb at gala

Lando Norris joked that FIA fines won't hurt him as much now that he is an F1 champion, after dropping an F-bomb in front of president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

Norris picked up his drivers' championship trophy at the FIA prize giving gala in Uzbekistan, following an Abu Dhabi Grand Prix weekend in which he wrapped up his maiden title.

The awards ceremony is an annual gala that celebrates all of the FIA's various racing series around the world, with F2 champion Leonardo Fornaroli being crowned, F3 champion Rafael Camara winning FIA Rookie of the Year, and Max Verstappen getting 'Action of the Year' for his overtake on Oscar Piastri in Imola earlier this season.

And it was Norris' team-mate Piastri who watched on in stitches of laughter as Norris picked up his trophy and dropped an F-bomb at the same time.

Norris said in his speech while talking about McLaren's season: "We had our fair share of mistakes and f*** ups!"

Norris then realised what he had said: "Can I say that here? I'm ok?" Newly re-elected president Ben Sulayem then joked: "£10,000!"

Norris continued: "Oh sorry yeah, I got fined. I can pay it off now."

Will Norris get fined for swearing?

Drivers in the last couple of seasons have been picked up multiple times by the FIA for swearing infringements, with the sport's governing body clamping down hard on what it deems 'unnecessary' use of bad language.

Swearing over team radio in the heat of the moment isn't worthy of a fine, but in press conferences and interviews it is deemed punishable, with Verstappen being given a community service-style penalty in 2024 for swearing, and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc also being fined that season.

Now, Norris' use of the F-bomb could be called unnecessary in that it was not used while he was racing, but the fact that Ben Sulayem joked about it at the time suggests that he won't come in for any punishment for the slip up.

Ben Sulayem was re-elected president earlier this week, a role that he has held since 2021, and he's unlikely to want to annoy the drivers this early into his second term.

READ MORE: Lando Norris regrets 'stupid things' said about Lewis Hamilton

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