[Rules] The FIA - what's occurring there?

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Tourer

Well the media conferences don't, which is what triggered this FIA penalty.

They are broadcast on SkyF1, which is a TV channel.

Also, you linked to the ITV Guidelines. ITV is a TV channel, not Ofcom.

[chillibowl]

i would imagine rules for speciality/behind pay wall channels are quite a bit different no?

cant imagine the UK is much different than here, so surely you guys are allowed to watch an uncensored version of the sopranos for example (or sub in any other of the thousands of shows with profanity and much more) during the day time?

after all, its not like bad language is illegal.

putting that aside tho, if there are broadcasting rules (guidelines) in place which F1 is violating in the UK, causing the broadcaster to incur fines and/or makes part the broadcast unusable, then is this not more of an issue for said broadcasters to take up with the F1 commercial rights holder or possibly even with sponsors who can then in turn take it up with the drivers?

how is this an FIA issue?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

i would imagine rules for speciality/behind pay wall channels are quite a bit different no?

cant imagine the UK is much different than here, so surely you guys are allowed to watch an uncensored version of the sopranos for example (or sub in any other of the thousands of shows with profanity and much more) during the day time?

after all, its not like bad language is illegal.

putting that aside tho, if there are broadcasting rules (guidelines) in place which F1 is violating in the UK, causing the broadcaster to incur fines and/or makes part the broadcast unusable, then is this not more of an issue for said broadcasters to take up with the F1 commercial rights holder or possibly even with sponsors who can then in turn take it up with the drivers?

how is this an FIA issue?

The FIA is the governing body for F1.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

i would imagine rules for speciality/behind pay wall channels are quite a bit different no?

cant imagine the UK is much different than here, so surely you guys are allowed to watch an uncensored version of the sopranos for example (or sub in any other of the thousands of shows with profanity and much more) during the day time?

after all, its not like bad language is illegal.

putting that aside tho, if there are broadcasting rules (guidelines) in place which F1 is violating in the UK, causing the broadcaster to incur fines and/or makes part the broadcast unusable, then is this not more of an issue for said broadcasters to take up with the F1 commercial rights holder or possibly even with sponsors who can then in turn take it up with the drivers?

how is this an FIA issue?

The FIA are the governing body. Why wouldn't it be an FIA issue?

[Yannick]

What's new, p*ssycat? Expletives. That's what. ;-)

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

The FIA are the governing body. Why wouldn't it be an FIA issue?

I posted earlier on this, but in short, if FIA is the sporting side, why are they getting involved in the commercial side (revenue). Yes, FIA has regulations around driver behavior, but that seems like a slippery "morality police" slope. FIA should stick to the sporting side.

Richard

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by Richard C

I posted earlier on this, but in short, if FIA is the sporting side, why are they getting involved in the commercial side (revenue). Yes, FIA has regulations around driver behavior, but that seems like a slippery "morality police" slope. FIA should stick to the sporting side.

Richard

But this has always been part of the FIAs remit? The media pen after the race is also an obligation. They don't all turn up for fun - they do it because they have to. The last person to be fined for this, funnily enough, was Max Verstappen - $25,000 for refusing to attend the requited post race interviews at Baku 2017. He "didn't feel like doing it", he said.

Also remember that these are FIA press conferences. They organise and host them. Conduct of the athletes at an event absolutely falls under the governing bodies remit.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Richard C

I posted earlier on this, but in short, if FIA is the sporting side, why are they getting involved in the commercial side (revenue). Yes, FIA has regulations around driver behavior, but that seems like a slippery "morality police" slope. FIA should stick to the sporting side.

Richard

Are the FIA getting involved in the commercial side? As you say, they have regulations regarding driver behavior and this falls under driver behavior.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Max is going to make a therapist extremely rich one day.

One day? I thought his long term therapist has been one Jos Verstappen.

I know.... i'll get my coat.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Are the FIA getting involved in the commercial side? As you say, they have regulations regarding driver behavior and this falls under driver behavior.

exactly....this is about controlling driver behaviour which is precisely what several of us here (i think) have a problem with.

this is a massive over reach over a couple of f-bombs that no one seemed to have a problem with until MBS made it one.

as with several of their clumsy attempts at control over drivers, its so disproportional and needlessly acrimonious as to undermine the very need of having a governing body that can act credibly and above reproach in matters of actual importance to the sport.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

exactly....this is about controlling driver behaviour which is precisely what several of us here (i think) have a problem with.

this is a massive over reach over a couple of f-bombs that no one seemed to have a problem with until MBS made it one.

as with several of their clumsy attempts at control over drivers, its so disproportional and needlessly acrimonious as to undermine the very need of having a governing body that can act credibly and above reproach in matters of actual importance to the sport.

It's an FIA organised press conference, and has been for decades. How is it an overreach?

Also nobody had a problem with a couple of f-bombs, because when asked not to swear the driver didn't go on a 10 minute rant about how everyone swears and this is a sport with microphones in their face on track (when the incident wasn't on track) and then refuse to attend the next press conference and instead held their own, where they answered as little as possible.

This really doesn't have much to do with Max swearing. It has everything to do with his reaction to being asked not to swear during the press conference, which was not dissimilar to how I handled being caught by my father at 13 years old swearing. Turns out "everyone does it" was not the clever argument that teenage me thought it was.

[Mike Harte]

I'm surprised that this debate has gone on so long, because this is only about a spoilt brat behaving like a real brick (sorry about the spelling mistake) and having a tantrum because he was asked to try to moderate his potty mouth.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

i would imagine rules for speciality/behind pay wall channels are quite a bit different no?

cant imagine the UK is much different than here, so surely you guys are allowed to watch an uncensored version of the sopranos for example (or sub in any other of the thousands of shows with profanity and much more) during the day time?

There is a rule that is described as 'mandatory daytime protection'.

"Mandatory daytime protection means there is a PIN protection system in place pre-2100 and post-0530 which cannot be removed by the user and restricts access solely to those authorised to view."

So - watching the Sopranos with a PIN protection in the middle of the day is fine, but offensive language when it is likely to be accessed by children is not OK.

[E.B]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

So - watching the Sopranos with a PIN protection in the middle of the day is fine, but offensive language when it is likely to be accessed by children is not OK.

And does the school playground have some sort of pin protection system.... because if there are anything like here the kids will hear and use words during those timeslots there that Tony Soprano didnt even know of.

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

They are broadcast on SkyF1, which is a TV channel.

Also, you linked to the ITV Guidelines. ITV is a TV channel, not Ofcom.

Stand corrected on Sky broadcasting the press conferences - is it done live or delayed (not part of the world feed or any of the other sky channels available here)

Yeah I know they were ITV guidelines - just felt they were clearer and easier to digest than the full OfCom site (particularly in the early hours here when I grabbed them).

Point stands though that it is one country only and whilst I wouldn't have said it personally in that environment, Max saying that the car is ****ed is in context and as one word only, could easily be bleeped by the broadcaster using standard delay technology if broadcast live.

Still think that the FIA is going a bit OTT on this and that there would have been far, far smarter ways on how to deal with it (like speaking to the drivers as a group, like adults and getting them onside).

Personally I think that Alex Wurz is showing far more maturity and leadership on this question than the FIA President is.

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Are the FIA getting involved in the commercial side? As you say, they have regulations regarding driver behavior and this falls under driver behavior.

Is this where the FIA should be issuing regulations? Where is the line they shouldn't cross?

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

It's an FIA organised press conference, and has been for decades. How is it an overreach?

Fair enough, but ignoring that they have done this for years, why is the FIA organizing and governing mandated driver press conferences?

Richard

[Skam85]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

no one seemed to have a problem with until MBS made it one.

this is it right here, he's the biggest issue

[Tourer]

...in the meantime, an online poll here in Australia on motorsport news site Speecafe, asks the question: "Should F1 drivers be allowed to swear in press conferences?"

Currently running at just under 75% "yes", but as I said earlier, other nationalities have pointed out to me that we do tend to swear quite a lot here in the Land of Oz, so maybe we are an outlier?

[Skam85]

Originally Posted by Tourer

...in the meantime, an online poll here in Australia on motorsport news site Speecafe, asks the question: "Should F1 drivers be allowed to swear in press conferences?"

Currently running at just under 75% "yes", but as I said earlier, other nationalities have pointed out to me that we do tend to swear quite a lot here in the Land of Oz, so maybe we are an outlier?

and the other 25% is "f*** yes"

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by Skam85

and the other 25% is "f*** yes"

James Elson in Motor Sport Magazine is clearly not a fan of the current Prez.

I reckons he's nailed it with the

Must be Balestre on Steroids

(my bolds) comment - that's brilliant!

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Tourer

James Elson in Motor Sport Magazine is clearly not a fan of the current Prez.

I reckons he's nailed it with the (my bolds) comment - that's brilliant!

I think that article is spot on. Particularly where he questions the issues that MBS decides to tackle (aren't there other issues to work on?)

I also like "Must Be Seen" where it talks about MBS is regularly part of the the F1 podium ceremony, but MIA at other to FIA series.

Richard

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by Richard C

I think that article is spot on. Particularly where he questions the issues that MBS decides to tackle (aren't there other issues to work on?)

I also like "Must Be Seen" where it talks about MBS is regularly part of the the F1 podium ceremony, but MIA at other to FIA series.

Richard

Agree - it's very good too. I can't recall the FIA medals that each Grand Prix winner gets being a thing prior to MBS - maybe that fits with the "Must Be Seen" moniker?

Telling that one of the leading World Rally guys commented on not seeing MBS at their events. Then again, given the number of times MBS has made something of a mess of his involvement in F1, maybe the rallyists should be grateful that he's leaving them alone.