Yuki Tsunoda, a driver from RB team, was fined for making an offensive comment about another competitor during the qualifying session at the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix. Tsunoda and a representative from RB were summoned by the FIA stewards to address a comment he made over the team radio during the Q1 segment. The incident occurred when Tsunoda became frustrated after Guanyu Zhou from Sauber overtook him in the pit lane while the cars were lined up. Tsunoda allegedly stated, “These guys are retarded.” The stewards received a report about Tsunoda’s comment and initiated an investigation to determine if he violated the FIA International Sporting Code.
After several hours, it was announced that Tsunoda was fined €40,000, with €20,000 of the fine suspended for the remainder of the season, due to his “inappropriate comments.” Tsunoda expressed remorse and explained that he was not aware of the meaning of the term, as English is not his primary language. He admitted to being “horrified” when he discovered the meaning of the phrase and acknowledged that his lack of knowledge should not be used as an excuse for his actions. Despite considering these factors, the stewards determined that Tsunoda’s words were offensive, inappropriate, and a violation of Article 12.2.1.k.
This incident has been compared to a similar situation involving Max Verstappen, who called Lance Stroll “retardado” and “mongol” during a training session at the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix. However, the FIA chose not to take disciplinary action against Verstappen for his comments, which led to an apology from the Mongolian ambassador to the UN. Toto Wolff and Frederic Vasseur, team principals of Mercedes and Ferrari, respectively, were warned at the previous season’s Las Vegas Grand Prix for using foul language during a press conference.
