Amid 'ridiculous rule', Sainz becomes GPDA director

Feb.24 (GMM) Carlos Sainz has become a new director of the Formula 1 drivers’ union – the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA).

The appointment comes at an important moment for the GPDA, as intense negotiations take place behind the scenes to dilute the harshness of the FIA’s so-called ‘driver swearing ban’.

Sainz, switching from Ferrari to Williams for 2025, spoke out against the ban last week, declaring that while swearing in press conferences is controversial, the drivers should be totally free to express themselves in the cockpit.

Former F1 driver Mika Salo fully agrees.

“It’s an absolutely ridiculous rule,” he told Iltalehti newspaper. “I’m completely on the drivers’ side here.

“F1 is the only sport in the world where the athlete has a microphone in front of his mouth at all times. With adrenaline flowing through the body, emotions are on the surface and the feedback on the team radio is immediate.

“It is unreasonable to demand that not a single bad word should be uttered in that situation,” the Finn insists. “Finnish javelin throwers also roar like the devil, but no one even thinks of fining them.”

As well as defending the drivers’ interests, the key mission of the GPDA is to promote safety. When asked what he hopes for F1 in the next 25 years, Fernando Alonso said: “I hope it doesn’t stray too far from what it is now.

“Because in the last 25 years the biggest change has been in safety. The cars are very safe now, but before that there was a lot of risk for the drivers, for the mechanics, for the marshals. Formula 1 was still quite risky.”

As for 30-year-old Sainz’s new GPDA role, the Alex Wurz-led organisation said in a statement that the Spaniard is “stepping into the role vacated by Sebastian Vettel”.

The other GPDA director is George Russell.

Sainz said: “I am passionate about my sport and think we drivers have a responsibility to do all we can to work with the stakeholders to forward the sport in many aspects.”