F1
Formula 1 drivers and actors soon to be muzzled by the FIA?
© Eric Alonso / DPPI
The FIA goes on the hunt for haters and these are the pilots and leaders of the Formula 1 who are on the front line. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the governing body of the discipline, indicated that the stewards now had more power to sanction inappropriate, negative or insulting comments from drivers.
Why such firmness towards the players in the championship? The Emirati explains it this way: “As part of our ongoing fight against online abuse, recent investigations have shown that there is a direct link between negative comments from drivers or team members and increased hatred towards official on social networks.
“At the last World Motorsport Council, members approved a change to the definition of misconduct in the International Sporting Code following incidents in which prominent members of our sport made statements regarding officials who incited abuse. »
“This change will provide additional support to FIA officials and volunteers who dedicate their time to improving our sport, ensuring its safety and fairness. Our stewards must be prepared to show strength in the fight against this form of abuse, and they have my full support, and that of our International Sporting Code, when making their decisions. I urge them to show that the FIA will not tolerate any form of abuse in our sport. »
Muzzle pilots, the solution to online hatred?
Thus, a driver who has made negative comments on his radio or to the media (on the marshals, on other drivers, etc.) which could lead to abuse on social networks will be more heavily sanctioned.
Recent cases can serve as an example: during qualifying for the Austrian GP, Yuki Tsunoda received a heavy fine of €40 for treating certain pilots as “fucking retards (sic)”. During the 2023 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Sergio Pérez described the stewards as " joke " following a penalty imposed during the race. In 2021, in Qatar, Christian Horner had accused a commissioner « thug » following a penalty pronounced against Max Verstappen for not having slowed down in the presence of a yellow flag.
Last July, during the “United Against Online Abuse” (UAOA) forum in sport, Mohammed Ben Sulayem had affirmed that a large majority of athletes were constantly harassed with hateful messages on social networks. “Imagine training your whole life to achieve a dream and being bombarded with threats and hate online. This is the reality for 75% of athletes today. »
ALSO READ > Why have overruns become more complicated in 2024?
Dorian Grangier
A young journalist nostalgic for the motorsport of yesteryear. Raised on the exploits of Sébastien Loeb and Fernando Alonso.
Read also
Comments
*The space reserved for logged in users. Please connect to be able to respond or post a comment!
5 Comment (s)
To write a comment
Frederic LAJOUX
15/08/2024 at 01:57 a.m.
It is forbidden to ban! but what shocks (I say this with affection ❤️ and without any hatred... I specify before getting sanctioned😅)! I can no longer stand this world where everything is controlled, judged, banned... Coluches, Desproges, Guitry and so many others must be turning in their graves. Today they would be in prison! As for Renaud who sang "even if I was as sick as a seal, I would never be knocked up", I understand that he no longer sobers up with despair. Long live the Hunt, Piquet, and others who lived because they were too aware of the privilege that life was and its fragility.
Jacques Morin
14/08/2024 at 09:22 a.m.
Yes, it's abject to be harassed on social networks... But since we cannot eradicate bullshit, because as the poet says "When we are stupid, we are stupid.", there remains only one solution: not having an account on the networks... Only a few years ago, athletes, artists, politicians... had their own website with forums or chats where you could easily ban the unwelcome. Let's bet that with AI, hateful speech would not even be published... It is always possible to come back to it. And too bad if Elon Musk does less business :-)
GAEL STEPHAN
14/08/2024 at 07:24 a.m.
Standardized, controlled, regulated, welcome to the free world!
YVES CHAMPOD
14/08/2024 at 06:37 a.m.
The current 'F1' deserves . . . disappear, in order to be reborn in a few years, with less 'political correctness'! ! !
Yves-Henri RANDIER
14/08/2024 at 03:38 a.m.
Let's start by restricting the use of the radio to a single and strict use, that of safety on the track, such as warning a pilot in his outlap of the arrival of another pilot in his flying lap, in particular on tracks “tilkesque” urban areas without much visibility! Do not forget also that MBS grew up in a country (UAE) whose legislation is based on Sharia law (for the federal courts of civil and criminal justice and for the High Court), hence perhaps a certain propensity to want muzzle criticism and speech.