F1 drivers warned over abusive language

Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel during the podium interview after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has warned F1 drivers over the language used during press conferences and interviews, after Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel swore on camera during the podium interview last weekend in Abu Dhabi.

Retired driver David Coulthard was the interviewer for the race. Asked by him to describe his emotions on winning for the first time in his comeback to F1, Raikkonen replied, ‘Not much really. Last time you guys was giving me s*** because I didn’t really smile enough.’

Vettel soon followed when asked about the qualifying blunder by his team which forced him to start from the pits, saying, ‘It was obviously a chance to f*** it up and we didn’t do that.’

Coulthard then apologised for the bad language used by Vettel and Raikkonen.

The FIA has now dashed off a letter to all teams, to remind them that it is “very much our collective responsibility to make sure drivers are aware such language has no place during media events”.

No mention has been made about any punishment for similar mistakes in future, however.

The podium interviews have been a special segment started by the FIA this season, in an attempt to provide more value for fans at the circuit. Earlier, drivers celebrated the win by waving and spraying champagne and were then directly taken to the post match press conference.