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FIA fears sanction for Charles Leclerc after incident at Mexican GP conference
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FIA fears sanction for Charles Leclerc after incident at Mexican GP conference

Charles Leclerc has been given a chat and yet could find himself in a sticky situation with the FIA ​​after dropping an F-bomb at the post-race press conference in Mexico.

Last month, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem cracked down on swearing by Formula One drivers, saying drivers had a responsibility to be careful with their language.

Charles Leclerc was sworn in at a press conference in Mexico

Hours later, reigning world champion Max Verstappen fell victim to the foul language ban when he used the F-word to describe how his Red Bull RB20 felt in Baku.

Verstappen was hit with a day of community service and launched an almost silent protest as he gave only brief answers in his subsequent FIA press conferences, instead holding media briefings in the paddock.

However, in the weeks since, the subject has remained quiet and the FIA ​​has not revealed what Verstappen’s community service day would entail, should it go ahead.

Leclerc could now find himself joining Verstappen for this day after using the F-word during Sunday’s post-race press conference for the Mexican Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver was second behind teammate Carlos Sainz when he ran wide into the final corner on lap 63 of the 71-lap race. Somehow he managed to save the car and finished the race in third place as Norris managed to get through.

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Asked about his big save and what he said to himself just now, Leclerc told the media in particular PlanèteF1.com: “Oh, I mean, I don’t know what face I made, but it must have been pretty stressful when I lost him.

“I knew I had to do everything perfectly, Lando was so fast at that moment. I felt like it was a matter of laps, but I still tried to do everything possible to make him overheat behind me and keep him behind me as long as possible. So I tried to have the best possible output.

“I could see he was very close to that corner. I lost the rear, and then you forget about Lando and you just hope to get it back.

“I had oversteer and when I recovered from that oversteer, I had oversteer on the other side.”

And then he swore before quickly apologizing, saying, “Then I was like ‘f**k.’ Oh sorry! Oh no, oh no! I don’t want to join Max!

His teammate Carlos Sainz joked: “You have your wallet here?

Leclerc continued: “Then I was just hoping to get the car to the finish line and get that third place.”

Shortly after the press conference ended, Leclerc was seen in conversation with an FIA official.

According to reports, the FIA ​​is still deciding whether to charge Leclerc under Article 12.2.1k of the FIA ​​International Sporting Code which states that it is an offense to publish “words, acts or writings which have caused moral harm or loss to the FIA”. , its bodies, its members or its managers, and more generally on the interest of motorsport and on the values ​​defended by the FIA.

Read next: Christian Horner claims Norris is a ‘dive bomb’ with GPS data shown in Mexico