GORDON RAMSAY was abruptly muted at the F1 75 launch event as he gave his thoughts on the FIA’s controversial crackdown on swearing.
The celebrity, well-known for his foul tongue, is also a huge Formula One and is often seen in attendance at races.
TwitterGordon Ramsay was muted as he swore when discussing the FIA’s new rules[/caption]
GettyNew rules championed by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem will see drivers hit with heavy fines for foul language[/caption]
And Ramsay, 58, was a special guest during F1’s special launch event at the O2 Arena in London paying homage to the motorsport’s milestone 75th anniversary.
The night saw the liveries of the ten teams revealed, also giving fans a chance to see the drivers in their new racesuits including Lewis Hamilton, who was seen in Ferrari colours live for the first time.
But the new F1 season has been overshadowed by a controversial crackdown on swearing by the FIA, the sport’s governing body.
Asked for his opinion on the rules by comedian-turned-presenter Jack Whitehall, Ramsay said: “Come on Jack you’re going to get me into trouble.
“I think it’s an industry language, the fact that these athletes are pushing themselves to the extreme and sometimes it comes out, let them be real. Let it go.
“They’re risking their life everytime, they’re travelling at over 200mph so if the s*** hits the fan.”
But Ramsay’s microphone was cut-out as soon as he began to say the word “s***”, indicating it was a pre-planned stunt.
Whitehall joked: “Gordon please. You’re not getting invited back next year.”
Reacting to the comments on social media, one fan said: “Gordon Ramsay about to get fined.”
A second said: “Gordon Ramsay about to get fined.”
A third said: “Just when I couldn’t love Gordon Ramsay anymore. He absolutely cooked.”
The perceived over-policing of the rules led to clashes between F1 drivers, including Max Verstappen, and the FIA after drivers were fined for swearing during media activities.
However, new rules announced in January are set to see an even more strict policing on swearing enforced with far heavier punishments.
A continued offence for swearing could see drivers hit with a €120,000 (£101.5k) fine, a one-month ban and an unspecified number of championship points.
The first such case under these rules happened last weekend when World Rally Car driver Adrien Fourmaux was fined €10,000 (£8,300) for using inappropriate language during a live post-stage interview.
This included an additional suspended fine of €20,000 (£16,600).
During a press conference at the launch event, Verstappen was asked about the new rules, to which he went full Jose Mourinho by saying he prefers not to speak.
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