Carlos Sainz has risked being fined by the FIA after swearing during an interview in the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix media pen. The Williams driver bagged points for the first time this season, taking eighth place in Jeddah.
But he was frustrated at the loud fireworks going off in the background while he was trying to listen and answer questions during a TV interview. When asked how happy he was with a positive run in the Middle East, Sainz replied: “Well it’s normal that [the opening races] are tricky…”
The firework display continued to visibly frustrate the Spanish driver and he belted out two swear words before covering his mouth and taking a long pause until a break in the celebrations.
Sainz dropped his head in despair before Williams team-mate Alex Albon came over to the interview, making a similar complaint: “The fireworks are longer than the national anthem!”
The former Ferrari man waited until the sky was clear before sarcastically clapping and then returning to his interview.
But swearing in such a manner may land him in hot trouble with the FIA, who were keen to clamp down on foul language in the paddock earlier this year.
In January, changes to the sporting code ensured that drivers face potential race bans if deemed guilty of swearing or criticising the governing body.
President Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s actions sparked backlash from drivers, after Max Verstappen was ordered to complete some form of work in the “public interest” for swearing in a press conference. Charles Leclerc was fined £8,420 for his curse words at the Mexico City GP in November.
World Rally Championship driver Adrien Fourmaux was fined £22,500 (£15,000 of which was suspended) for swearing at a stage-end interview in February.
There has been somewhat of a climbdown from those punishments in recent weeks, deciding against punishing drivers for swearing over the radio during the race.
But with Sainz out of his car and back in the paddock, it remains to be seen whether or not he will face the wrath of the FIA.
His overriding feeling in Saudi, however, was relief after a DRS trick brought Williams a double-points finish.
Albon climbed from 11th to ninth thanks to Sainz, who kept his team-mate in his DRS to ensure Isack Hadjar behind was unable to pass.
“Then I think it was with 12, 13 laps to go, the team asked me to give DRS to Alex to make sure Hadjar didn’t have a chance at passing us,” Sainz explained.
“It was a bit of a tricky one because you always feel it exposes you, especially in a high-speed track where the DRS has a very big effect around here.
“You always get a bit nervous about it because you cannot put a foot wrong, if you do a mistake, hit a wall or whatever. But in the end, it worked.”
