Steiner reminds the FIA: "Sport lives from emotions"

As quoted in an interview with RTL and sport.de, Steiner is of the opinion that the FIA tackled the issue in the wrong way. "In my opinion, the problem could have been dealt with at a much lower level without making it such a big issue," instead the former team principal thinks the governing body should have asked the drivers privately not to use inappropriate language during any official media sessions.

"What can you say when you're full of adrenaline?," Steiner then wonders, understanding drivers may use the odd profanity when emotions are runningh high on track. While he admits that some words are not "exactly flattering," he reminds the FIA that "A sport also lives from emotions. We are not an AI sport. It is not a robot that drives this car. They are people, and they have emotions."

"A slip of the tongue"

A World Rally Championship driver, Adrian Fourmaux was fined with 10,000 euros and a further suspended 20,000' euros which must be paid should the driver be once again found in breach of the terms outlined in the recently updated FIA's conduct guidelines. "It was from someone whose first language is not English. It obviously slipped out of his mouth," Steiner added. 

Since then the World Rally Drivers have issued a joint statement asking the FIA for clarification, following the Grand Prix Drivers Association lead on its reaction to Max Verstappen's Singapore Grand Prix penalty. The rally drivers are still waiting on a response from the FIA.

"A lot of money," says Steiner regarding the penalty imposed on the rally driver. "In my opinion, we made too big a deal out of it," concluded the former F1 team principal.

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