WRC drivers protest against the controversial FIA swearing ban continued at Safari Rally Kenya with many drivers limiting their end-stage comments.
The new regulation aimed at curbing profanity during official broadcasts and interviews has sparked widespread criticism from drivers and teams in recent weeks, culminating in protests as they argue the rule is unrealistic and out of touch with the realities of competitive motorsport.
However, the FIA swearing ban controversy reached a boiling point during the Safari Rally Kenya where WRC drivers staged a protest against the stringent enforcement of penalties for using “inappropriate language.”
Many refused to answer questions in English during Wednesday’s stage-end interviews, opting instead to remain silent or speak in their native languages such as French or Welsh.
This move follows a series of fines and warnings issued to drivers across various motorsport disciplines, including Formula 1 (F1), as part of a broader initiative to enhance professionalism and promote a family-friendly image.
Protests against FIA swearing ban gained traction earlier this year when Hyundai driver Adrien Fourmaux became the first WRC driver to get penalized under the new rules.
Fourmaux’s candid remark—“We f***ed up yesterday”—during an interview at Rally Sweden was deemed inappropriate by the FIA, triggering a €30,000 fine(of which €20,000 was suspended) for using the profanity.
The incident has fueled frustration among drivers, who argue that such language is often an unintentional byproduct of adrenaline-fueled moments during competition.
The World Rally Drivers Alliance (WoRDA), an union recently founded to represent WRC drivers’ interests, has been vocal in its opposition to the FIA swearing ban.
In a statement released shortly after Fourmaux’s penalty, WoRDA criticized the regulation as overly harsh and called for urgent dialogue with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
“We all agree to keep rudeness at the microphone to a minimum,” they said in a statement. “At the same time, it is necessary to maintain a certain freedom of expression and to keep emotions alive while drivers don’t need to be afraid of getting punished in any way.
“We have asked the president of the FIA for some positive changes in the rules to help us achieve this goal. For the reasons explained in our statement, it is impossible for us to guarantee that we (drivers and co-drivers) will be able to follow these rules perfectly and systematically.
“This is why we – WoRDA Members – are now taking the responsible decision to remain silent at the end of the interviews or to answer in our mother tongue.
“In the […] interest of our sport, such an action is unfortunately needed, and we apologise to all the rally fans, even though we know they support us in this.”
Despite their calls for discussion, the FIA declined to directly address the issue when contacted by Racetrackmasters.com and it is believed the governing body is yet to begin talks with WoRDA.
Toyota’s Kalle Rovanpera and Hyundai’s Ott Tanak were among those who responded in English to explain the logic behind their most recent move after completing their Safari Rally Kenya shakedown runs.
“It is nice to be here in Kenya but unfortunately you guys will not hear from me so much this weekend, and if that is the case of what we need to do to make a difference, we will do it,” said Rovanpera.
Tanak added: “Unfortunately we need to go a bit different. I believe the first drivers have explained the situation.
“As you can see the adrenaline can be quite high at the end of the stage, so unfortunately regarding the latest actions we can’t give any stage comments until it is again comfortable for the drivers.
“That is the way it is at the moment until a solution comes through and we can go back to normal.”
The FIA swearing ban has also drawn comparisons to similar incidents in Formula 1 (F1), where drivers such as Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc have faced penalties for language-related offenses.
Verstappen was notably sentenced to a day of community service in Rwanda after swearing during a press conference at last year’s Singapore Grand Prix while Leclerc received a monetary fine for similar behavior.
