FIA take immediate action as latest WRC driver fined for swearing

Oliver Harden
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WRC driver Oliver Solberg has been hit with a reprimand and a suspended €2,000 fine for swearing at this weekend’s Rally Estonia.

Solberg, the son of 2003 WRC champion Petter Solberg, is back behind the wheel of a top-tier WRC car in Estonia this weekend.

WRC driver Oliver Solberg punished for swearing by FIA

The 23-year-old, who is linked to the Quadrant brand founded by McLaren F1 star Lando Norris, enjoyed a positive first day behind the wheel of the Toyota GR Yaris Rally 1 car to take the lead of the rally.

Solberg, whose last appearance in a Rally 1 car came with Hyundai in 2022, is chasing a first-ever WRC win in Estonia having spent the last few years in second-tier machinery.

Appearing on stage in front of fans in a ‘Meet The Crews’ session on Friday, Solberg used the term “f**king win” as he discussed his prospects for the rest of the weekend.

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The FIA has come down hard on Solberg’s foul language, handing the Toyota driver a reprimand and a suspended €2,000 fine.

The stewards’ report read: “Both driver and competitor’s representative immediately admitted that the use of this word was inappropriate in this environment and apologised for this lapse.

“The driver further stated that he did not mean to offend or hurt anyone by using this word.

“The stewards recognise that the word in question has become colloquial and is often used as an expression of emotion, particularly by the younger generation, but at the same time emphasise that the FIA remains committed to ensuring that inappropriate language is not used in any controlled area such as media conferences, during interviews and at the ceremonial start.”

Solberg’s fine comes after a high-profile stand off between the WRC drivers and the FIA earlier this year.

As reported by PlanetF1.com, Hyundai driver Adrien Fourmaux was hit with a €10,000 fine – with a further €20,000 suspended for 12 months – for swearing at a stage-end interview at February’s Rally Sweden.

Fourmaux admitted he had “f**ked up” after forgetting to strap his helmet before the start of a stage in Sweden, with the Frenchman forced to stop moments into the stage to rectify the issue and drop out of contention for victory.

The FIA’s harsh punishment resulted in the formation of the World Rally Drivers’ Alliance (WoRDA), the WRC equivalent of F1’s Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, as the drivers took a united stance.

The drivers staged a protest by refusing to engage in stage-end interviews at the Safari Rally Kenya, with the FIA eventually reaching a compromise with the WRC drivers via the implementation of controlled zones and non-controlled zones.

Non-controlled zones see the FIA take a more relaxed approach to drivers using foul language in heat-of-the-moment situations like stage-end interviews.

However, usual standards are expected to be upheld in controlled zones, including more formal settings like press conferences and television interviews.

The arrangement has since been adopted by F1 following a row between the FIA and Red Bull driver Max Verstappen last year.

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