Alonso issues 'behave properly' reminder to F1 drivers

Fernando Alonso has underlined the "huge responsibility" F1 drivers have as role models after the furore around Max Verstappen swearing in a press conference ignited the debate over appropriate conduct.

On Thursday of the Singapore Grand Prix, the Dutchman said the f-word in describing his Red Bull RB20, a move which earned him a punishment from the FIA tantamount to community service.

In response, the triple F1 champion effectively boycotted his FIA press conference duties for the remainder of the weekend, choosing to limit his answers and host his own media scrums in the paddock, outside of the mandated and more formal setting.

Opinion on the matter has been split, but the current drivers generally came to the support of Verstappen.

To some, however, it was unnecessary. This included Martin Brundle, who questioned why the Red Bull driver was wasting energy on such things.

Alonso, meanwhile, has since argued that those in the spotlight of F1 must "behave properly" and set an example, even if they do not want to.

When speaking during a fireside chat at a recent event for Aston Martin sponsor Cognizant, the Spaniard was asked if the size of F1's global following puts pressure on the drivers.

"Not pressure," the 43-year-old replied. "I think pressure comes from the teams, pressure comes from the sponsors, pressure comes from delivering the result on Sunday.

"What the fans bring to the drivers, I think it’s a huge responsibility because you are a role model for many people, so you have to behave properly and you have to be ready to be a role model when you want to do it, and when you don’t want to do it, you still have to do it.

"When you want to say something that is not correct, you have to hold yourself and be politically correct… [when] you are a driver or you are in the the public spotlight, you need to behave properly.”