FIA swearing fines 'unacceptable', say WRC drivers

Drivers in the World Rally Championship have released a joint statement calling for an "urgent solution" to the clampdown on swearing introduced by motorsport's world governing body the FIA.

It comes after French driver Adrien Fourmaux was fined 10,000 euros for swearing in a TV interview when describing his previous stage at Rally Sweden.

The World Rally Drivers Alliance (WoRDA) says the punishment for misdemeanours such as swearing had reached an "unacceptable level".

A new sporting code has been released by the FIA that could see drivers fined, suspended or docked championship points for swearing from this year.

WoRDA added the size of the fine was "vastly disproportionate to the average income and budget in rallying".

The drivers' body called for discussions with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who has previously said he wanted to remove swearing from the sport.

The statement, signed by 33 drivers and co-drivers - including championship leader Elfyn Evans and Northern Ireland's Josh McErlean - is the latest step by competitors to raise concerns about the FIA's approach.

Formula 1 driver Carlos Sainz has said members of the Grand Prix Drivers Association (GDPA) have had discussions about how to respond to the new sanctions.

The WoRDA statement acknowledged "competitors must abide by the referee's decision" but added there has been an "alarming increase in the severity of the sanctions imposed for minor, isolated and unintentional language lapses".

It cited the adrenaline felt by drivers, who are interviewed live seconds after finishing a stage, the fact that English is not the first language for a number of competitors in the WRC and that "common colloquialisms" are not the same as an insult or aggression.

WoRDA also raised concerns over who the fines imposed by the FIA will benefit, and said "a lack of transparency only amplifies concerns and undermines confidence in the system".

That comes after the GDPA wrote an open letter to the FIA in November to ask the governing body to treat them like adults and asking for transparency as to how the fines, which it added were "not appropriate", were spent.