Hulkenberg questions new FIA rules as critical F1 point made

Nico Hulkenberg has questioned why the FIA felt the need to introduce the controversial new stewards' penalty guidelines, which seek muzzle drivers in a number of ways.

The governing body has prohibited swearing, amongst other things, for championships it oversees in what has generally been viewed as a highly-contentious step.

Having grown tired of the use of profanity, particularly in F1, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem spoke out against the use of expletives in the top tier of single-seater motorsport last year.

It proved to be the touch paper that engulfed the F1 paddock in a fiery debate over swearing - and over-reach from the governing body and Ben Sulayem.

Whilst the hostilities dissipated after the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) called out the FIA president in a statement shared on social media, the move to punish drivers through fines, suspensions and championship points deductions has re-ignited the tension.

To Hulkenberg, it is an unnecessary development. The German is also interested to see what will happen of a driver criticised the new rules, especially given that speaking out against the FIA is a punishable offence listed in the changes to its International Sporting Code (ISC).

"I'm a bit surprised and honestly don't quite understand why we need this rule, why it was necessary," the 37-year-old told Motorsport-Magazin.com.

"I'm curious to see how the FIA ​​intends to implement this rule, even if someone criticises it. The way this rule is formulated is very broad."

A self-made problem

WRC driver Adrien Fourmaux has already been punished under the guidelines, whilst Formula E's Dan Ticktum escaped being disciplined as his indiscretion was over team radio, not in an interview with the media.

That strikes at the heart of a key concession F1 has already obtained from the FIA, that it is not an all-encompassing, blanket ban on swearing.

George Russell and Max Verstappen both used profanity during pre-season testing in incidents that likely would have attracted fines from stewards if they had occurred during a championship round.

However, concerns remain. There is the worry the new rules remove authenticity and prevent drivers from showing the passion fans adore.

"In the past, I have never heard people, fans or outsiders, complaining about the way Formula 1 drivers communicate or that we are bad role models," Hulkenberg said.

"On the contrary, I think people love to see the emotions in athletes and that they can also simply say what they think and how they feel."

The Stake driver highlighted that, in many ways, swearing in interviews is a self-made issue for F1, given the immediate access the media - something that caught out Fourmaux.

"It is also somewhat home-made in Formula 1: If you compare it with other sports, there is hardly a sport in which all the participating athletes appear in front of 15 TV cameras and print journalists immediately after the competition," he explained.

"You're still pumped full of adrenaline and there's nothing inhuman about emotions running high in the heat of the moment and using a word you wouldn't normally use."

Nonetheless, Hulkenberg is not concerned about being sanctioned himself: "I was never someone who qualified for this rule when I look back on my career. I'm not known for that."