– Velimir Jukic, a journalist from the Slovenian automotive platform AvtoFocus, probably had a premonition: “I have a difficult question for Kimi,” he said on Thursday afternoon at the FIA press conference in Monza, where almost all questions were directed only at the Italian local hero Kimi Antonelli.
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It was actually about the topic of danger in Formula 1. “Sometimes you can die if you have a serious accident,” said the journalist in his slightly broken English – probably sounding a bit more direct and blunt than he would have wanted to in his native language.
But the question-and-answer session in the highly official FIA setting did not become controversial because of the journalist, nor because of what Antonelli had to say. Rather, the 20-year-old Italian, whose native language is also not English, stumbled in the middle of his speech: “Of course we are aware of the risks that exist, because the … Oh, shit,” he said, struggling to find the right words.
Why Antonelli’s statement was problematic
A potentially serious “slip of the tongue,” because: Since the F-word scandal involving Max Verstappen at an FIA press conference in 2024, there has been a “ban on swearing” in Formula 1, at least in FIA press conferences or official TV interviews. After all, Formula 1 in 2026 wants to appeal not only to some hardcore petrolheads but explicitly sees itself as entertainment for the whole family.
Antonelli immediately realized what had happened when the word “shit” slipped out in English, put on an embarrassed smile amid the laughter of the media representatives, and said: “Sorry! Oh my God. Sorry, sorry, sorry. This is terrible. Oh my God. What have I just done? Now I have to worry about the penalty that’s coming.”
But such a penalty does not threaten Antonelli before his home race: With his immediate reaction and multiple apologies, he likely defused the FIA officials’ desire to sanction his “swearing.” Especially since in his case it was clearly an accident – and not a malicious curse in a state of rage. Upon request from Motorsport-Total.com, the FIA confirms that no investigation is pending because of this.
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That Antonelli briefly feared a penalty is no coincidence. At the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, Verstappen was sentenced by the FIA stewards to community service after he used the F-word in the official FIA press conference to describe the then-performance of his Red Bull. The stewards considered the expletive misconduct under the International Sporting Code – even though it was not directed at a specific person or group.
Just a few weeks later, Charles Leclerc was caught as well: The Ferrari driver also used the F-word after the Mexican Grand Prix when describing his near-crash in the race. Leclerc immediately noticed his faux pas and apologized – yet the FIA imposed a fine of 10,000 euros, of which 5,000 euros were suspended for twelve months probation. Among the mitigating circumstances, the stewards considered that Leclerc apologized immediately.
How Antonelli answered the question about death
The actual topic of the question to Antonelli was somewhat overshadowed by the brief “uproar.” Formula 1 is “much too fast” to be able to think about fears of death when driving fast corners, said the Mercedes driver: “You just go for it. If it goes well, fine – and if not, you prepare for the impact.”
“We all know how dangerous this sport is. But we love what we do. And the risk is part of it. Also, Formula 1, together with the FIA, has done incredibly good work in terms of safety. The cars are much safer nowadays than before. And that gives us the confidence to push to the limit on the track,” said Antonelli.
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