Written by Benjamin Crundwell, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Just two rounds into the 2025 season, The World Rally Championship is already deep in controversy, this time with the drivers right in the midst of it.
On Monday morning, 24th February, the WoRDA (World Rally Drivers Alliance) released a statement on Instagram, addressing recent regulations the FIA have created to prevent swearing across the sports they run.
The statement read:
“The Rally Drivers and Codrivers of WoRDA, inspired by their GPDA colleagues, join together to express their opinion, seek clarity and cooperate towards a brighter future.
“First and foremost, we wish to state that, as is the case with every sport, competitors must abide by the Referee's decision. The respect of this principle is not in question.
“We are not all full-time professionals, yet we all face the same extreme conditions with the same relentless passion. Whether navigating through dense forests, across frozen roads in the dead of night, or through the dust of treacherous gravel tracks, we push ourselves to the limit - against the elements, against the clock, and against our own limits.
“Beyond racing, our role has expanded. Today, rally drivers and co-drivers are not only athletes but also entertainers, content creators, and constant media figures. From the smartphones of spectators to the official WRC cameras, we are expected to be available at all times - before, during, and after competition, from dawn to dusk.
“WoRDA has always recognized our responsibilities and commitment to collaborate in a constructive way with all stakeholders, including the FlA President, in order to promote and elevate our outstanding Sport for the benefit of all.
“In recent months, however, there has been an alarming increase in the severity of the sanctions imposed for minor, isolated and unintentional language lapses. This has reached an unacceptable level.”
The collective statement, signed by the drivers, dwelled upon the extreme nature of rallying, and how drivers would find it difficult to control their emotions in the heat of the moment.
“We strongly believe that:
- Common colloquialism cannot be considered and judged as equal to genuine insult or an act of aggression
- Non mother-tongue speakers may use or repeat terms without full awareness of their meaning and connotation
- Seconds after an extreme adrenaline spike, it is unrealistic to expect a perfect and systematic control over emotions.
“Rally is Extreme: Risk level for the athletes, intensity of the focus, length of the days ... all the limits are reached.
“In such a case we question the relevance and validity of imposing any sort of penalty. Moreover, the exorbitant fines are vastly disproportionate to the average income and budget in rallying.
“We are also concerned with the public impression these excessive sums create in the minds of the fans, suggesting this is an industry where money doesn't matter.
“This also raises a fundamental question where does the money from these fines go? The lack of transparency only amplifies concerns and undermines confidence in the system.
Surely the negative impressions surrounding these penalties far outweigh the impact of any language lapse.
“We call for a direct communication and engagement between the FIA
President and WoRDA members to find a mutually agreeable and urgent solution.
Sportingly,
“The Rally Drivers and Codrivers members of WoRDA
Sébastien OGIER Kalle ROVANPERÄ
Ott Tänak Thierry NEUVILLE
Martin WYDA€GHE Jonne HALTTUNEN Martin JARVEOJA
Vincent LANDAIS Adrien FOURMAUX Alexandre CORIA
Elfyn EVANS Scott MARTIN Grégoire MUNSTER Louis LOUKA
Takamoto KATSUTA Agron JOHNSTON Martins S€SKS
Francis RENARS Sami PAJARI Marko SALMINEN
Josh MCERLEAN foin TREACY Cándido CARRERA
Gus GREENSMITH Jonas ANDERSSON Yohan ROSSEL
Arnaud DUNAND Oliver SOLBERG Elliott EDMONDSON
Léo ROSSEL Guillaume MERCOIRET Dani SORDO
Julien INGRASSIA
“Human beings are the heart of all sport. Safety, Action, Respect and
Authenticity are the values we uphold.”
This statement comes after Adrien Fourmaux was handed a €10,000 fine and a further €20,000 suspended fine for saying: “We f***ed up yesterday” during the Rally Sweden. Fourmaux is the first driver to have received a penalty in 2025 for inappropriate language, but it’s not a new topic in motorsport.
This follows up the incident last season, when Sébastien Ogier was punished with a €30,000 fine for comments he made against the rally officials.
Outside of WRC, the topic has been under fire even in Formula One. After Max Verstappen received community service for swearing in the press conference in the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers Association) released a similar statement, showing their distaste against the sanctions.
WoRDA highlighted some important points in their statement, mainly, “Common colloquialism” is not equal to “genuine insult or an act of aggression.” This is true especially for “non-mother-tongue speakers” and in the moments immediately after “An extreme adrenaline spike.”
The Drivers Association went on to question the magnitude of the fines, arguing they are “disproportionate” to a rally driver's income, and continued to push this point by asking where the money is going: “The lack of transparency only amplifies concerns.”
The WoRDA finalised the statement signed by all WRC1 rally drivers and codrivers, a few WRC2 drivers, and presenter Julien Ingrassia.
The statement is another dose of fuel on a fire which was already raging. FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has shown no sign of backing down with the swearing directive, but the WoRDA’s statement is proof of drivers growing increasingly upset with how the FIA is run.
Fears have arisen that later in the year, drivers across the FIA series may start to strike. This would not be the first time drivers have organised strikes against the organisations in power. In 1982, F1 drivers went on strike at the South African Grand Prix, to contest the new super licence rules that were applied.
2025 is poised to be a dramatic year, but not just on track, as the civil war between FIA and competitors will certainly continue to rage behind the scenes.
