Leclerc avoids Verstappen punishment with fine for Mexico GP language
2nd November 2024Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has been slapped with a fine and avoids joining Max Verstappen in community service after swearing during the Mexico Grand Prix press conference.
Feature image credit: Scuderia Ferrari
Leclerc was fined €10,000 for swearing at the post-race press conference in Mexico City last weekend, with €5,000 suspended on the condition that no similar repeats are made.
The Monegasque will not have to perform any community service, unlike Red Bull Racing’s Verstappen, who swore in a press conference earlier this year.
The incident came when Leclerc was asked ‘what did you say to yourself’ after his big moment in the Mexican race which he nearly crashed into the barrier late on. In response, Leclerc said ‘f**k.’
However, the Ferrari driver realised what he had said and apologised immediately saying:
“Oh, sorry! Oh no, oh no! I don’t want to join Max.”
In the investigation by the stewards, the officials looked into the transcript of the post-race driver’s press conference.
The stewards deemed Leclerc had used ‘coarse language’ and was not suitable for broadcast. They concluded that the Monegasque had committed ‘misconduct’ in line with Article 20 of the International Sporting Code, with a breach in Article 12.2.1.k.
Leclerc’s apologetic behaviour, after the fact, was a mitigating factor to the Ferrari driver’s punishment.
The stewards did not slap Leclerc with community service as they had with Verstappen as the officials deemed the breach was not at ‘the same level.’ They said:
“The Stewards considered the mitigation factor that Leclerc was immediately apologetic. The Stewards while noting that the driver’s contrite behavior conclude that a breach has occurred and a penalty is warranted.
“The Stewards do not consider that this breach reached the same level as the most recent case and as such chose to levy a fine of €10,000 with €5,000 suspended pending no repeat within 12 months”
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Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
