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

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

The 25-year-old’s radio trade with race engineer Michael Lee occurred halfway via the opening contest of Saudi Arabia’s System E weekend. 

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

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

Whether or not or not the Kiro driver was socially proper to have interaction in such an trade 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 via 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 revealed in January laid out the penalties for swearing and the next punishments that would in the end end in drivers being banned for continuous breaches of misconduct.

But Ticktum’s tantrum is not going to 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 identical incident additionally occurred over the identical weekend, because the World Rally Championship star Adrien Fourmaux turned the primary driver to be charged beneath the brand new guidelines.

On Sunday the Hyundai driver used the f-word in a tv interview, inflicting a €10,000 nice. An attention-grabbing aspect observe was that the penalty ought to have been €30,000 primarily based 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 meant 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 undoubtedly offensive. The distinction being that Ticktum was not talking throughout a dwell press convention or interview, as within the case of Verstappen, Leclerc and Fourmaux.

Adrien Fourmaux, Hyundai World Rally Workforce

Picture by: Romain Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport

Nonetheless, it was broadcast by way of the unfiltered real-time System E app and shortly 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 out to be 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 kinds consistency with the FIA’s decision-making and its penalties.