There are some truly awful people on the internet, but if you judge based purely on how annoying they are, it’s hard to do much worse than the Language Police. Whether they’re whining about not being able to take you seriously because you said, “shit,” or attacking you for daring to use language they don’t want their toddler reading, it feels like they’re everywhere, and they suck. Unfortunately for Formula 1 drivers, they work for one of those people, and they’ve had enough of it of his bullshit, the Drive reports.
The Grand Prix Drivers Association sent a letter to FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem asking him to stop fining them every goddamn time they use a swear word. The problem isn’t just that they get fined for having a normal reaction when something they don’t like, either. The GPDA is also upset that Ben Sulayem won’t show them the same respect when speaking about the drivers.
If you remember, Ben Sulayem has used some pretty racist language when explaining why he insists drivers speak like kindergarten teachers. “I mean, we have to differentiate between our sport – motorsport – and rap music,” Ben Sulayem told Motorsport in a September interview. “We’re not rappers, you know. They say the F-word how many times per minute? We are not on that. That’s them and we are [us].” He’s also banned drivers from wearing jewelry in their cars and has also tried to police their underwear.
So for Ben Sulayem to get upset that someone’s hypothetical grandchildren might learn a new word while also treating drivers like children themselves is pretty rich. It’s also understandable that drivers are tired of being fined just because some rich guy doesn’t like it when they do. Will he actually take their letter seriously and submit to reason? Probably not, but who doesn’t love watching a bunch of rich people fight?
