Leclerc’s Slip Sparks Controversy as Verstappen Points Out Unfair FIA Treatment
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc will face the stewards at the Brazilian Grand Prix after using an expletive in the post-race press conference following his third-place finish in Mexico. The incident occurred as Leclerc described a nail-biting moment at the final corner where a near-miss with the wall allowed Lando Norris to overtake for second place. “I had one oversteer…then I was like, ‘f***,’” Leclerc admitted, only to immediately apologize, saying, “Oh, sorry! Oh, no, oh no! I don’t want to join Max!”
This comes on the heels of Max Verstappen’s recent brush with the FIA for similar language, which saw the Dutchman issued a “community service” penalty after swearing in Singapore’s pre-race press conference. Verstappen, frustrated by what he perceives as selective enforcement, quipped that the swearing rule “only counts for me” when Leclerc’s remarks initially went unnoticed by officials.
Leclerc is set to meet with stewards at 5:45 p.m. local time on Thursday, after sprint qualifying wraps up. Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly is also expected to appear before the stewards after allegedly failing to attend the drivers’ meeting on time.
The FIA’s crackdown on driver language has sparked debate within the paddock, with some drivers and fans questioning the consistency of penalties. For Leclerc, the summon adds a layer of tension to a critical race weekend as he seeks to challenge McLaren for standings points.
