Ben Hunt: Ticktum’s tantrum at Jeddah E-Prix sets a precedent for FIA swearing rules

Dan Ticktum’s swear-laden rant eventually weekend’s Jeddah E-Prix will go unpunished regardless of the needs of the FIA president to stamp out swearing.

The 25-year-old’s radio alternate with race engineer Michael Lee occurred halfway by way of the opening contest of Saudi Arabia’s Method E weekend. 

It got here after Ticktum’s automobile developed {an electrical} drawback whereas he was working in sixth, requiring it to be reset earlier than shedding extra time as Kiro additionally determined to alter the entrance wing.

The new-headed Ticktum reacted by way of staff radio in a fashion that contained 10 swear-words – one thing that was later printed throughout social media.

Whether or not or not the Kiro driver was socially proper to interact in such an alternate is one other matter. What’s essential is that, as of January 2025, swearing has been outlawed; a change pressed for by the FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.

It had been rushed by way of off the again of Max Verstappen receiving a community service punishment for swearing in a Formula 1 press conference, which he served forward of December’s FIA Prize Giving ceremony in Rwanda, whereas Charles Leclerc suffered a fine for his own f-bomb during an interview.

Nonetheless, the up to date appendix B of the Worldwide Sporting Code that was printed in January laid out the penalties for swearing and the following punishments that might in the end end in drivers being banned for continuous breaches of misconduct.

But Ticktum’s tantrum won’t see him punished by the organisation.

An FIA spokesperson mentioned: “The stewards have been made conscious and determined that no additional motion was wanted as this occurred within the context of a radio communication with the staff and never throughout a media interview.”

An analogous incident additionally occurred over the identical weekend, because the World Rally Championship star Adrien Fourmaux grew to become the primary driver to be charged underneath the brand new guidelines.

On Sunday the Hyundai driver used the f-word in a tv interview, inflicting a €10,000 wonderful. An attention-grabbing aspect be aware was that the penalty ought to have been €30,000 based mostly on the FIA’s standards, however in Sweden the stewards suspended €20,000 – largely as a result of it was in his second language and “not supposed to be offensive”.

Which is why the case with Ticktum is attention-grabbing, as a result of firstly, the Briton was talking in his native tongue, and secondly as a result of it was most positively offensive. The distinction being that Ticktum was not talking throughout a reside press convention or interview, as within the case of Verstappen, Leclerc and Fourmaux.

Adrien Fourmaux, Hyundai World Rally Staff

Photograph by: Romain Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport

Nonetheless, it was broadcast by way of the unfiltered real-time Method E app and rapidly played-out throughout social media.

Whether or not or not it’s proper to have drivers swearing is one factor, but it surely must turn into crystal clear from the beginning of this F1 season what’s allowed and what isn’t.

This now units the precedent the place it’s deemed OK for drivers to swear by way of staff radio, however not in media interviews – an essential distinction, as long as it varieties consistency with the FIA’s decision-making and its penalties.