'Fed up' F1 drivers blast 'absurd' FIA rules during fiery Las Vegas Grand Prix press conference
George Russell led a series of F1 drivers in claiming they are 'a bit fed up' with the FIA in a fiery Las Vegas Grand Prix press conference.
Russell, who is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), published a statement on Instagram on behalf of all 20 drivers last month.
The statement, which posted on the newly-set up official GPDA account, hit out at the FIA over recent race decisions and the conduct of president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
It took aim at the recent penalty handed out to Max Verstappen for swearing during a press conference in Singapore.
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The Dutchman was handed community service as his punishment, with the statement writing: "There is a difference between swearing intended to insult others and more casual swearing, such as you might use to describe bad weather, or indeed an inanimate object such as a Formula 1 car, or a driving situation."
The statement called for Ben Sulayem to 'consider his own tone and language', with the FIA president previously claiming that swearing drivers sounded like 'rappers'.
And it added that drivers 'do not need to be given instructions via the media about matters as trivial as the wearing of jewellery or underpants'.
Now, speaking ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, Russell confirmed the GPDA has still not received an official response from the FIA over the statement.
He added that the drivers feel 'a bit fed up' with the current situation.
The Mercedes driver said: "Talking as a fellow driver, as opposed to my role with the GPDA, everybody felt with certain things that have happened that we wanted to stand united.
"At the end of the day we just want to be transparent with the FIA and have this dialogue. And the departure of Niels [Wittich, race director, before the Grand Prix] is a prime example of not being part of these conversations."
Russell was participating in the press conference alongside McLaren's Lando Norris and Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, who is set to race in Vegas after missing the Brazilian Grand Prix through illness.
Norris said 'obviously things are not running as smoothly as we would want', while Magnussen added: "I compare with the Charlie Whiting [former race director who died in 2019] days.
"He was someone we felt really connected to and we were really being listened to. But now feel it's more us against them and it should be a closer connection."
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc - who was also summoned to the stewards for swearing during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend - told Italian outlet La Repubblica that the rule is 'absurd'.
Verstappen, meanwhile, called out the FIA over their decision to replace Niels Wittich with three races to go.
He told media: "Of course, it's a bit weird with three races to do that. I thought in Brazil there was definitely room for improvement, for example.
"It is still a bit weird to be having to now deal with a different race director. Normally if you want to change a race director, maybe you would do it after the season. Let's see how it goes. They have decided it and we have to deal with it."
Topics: Formula 1, George Russell, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris
Ryan Smart