People in racing team uniforms talking in a control area with screens in the background. — Red Bull believes that the communication censorship was deliberate | La Derecha Diario

Camara — Red Bull believes that the communication censorship was deliberate | La Derecha Diario

Red Bull accuses Formula 1 of altering the audio between Verstappen and his team

The Austrian team claims it is an attempt to damage the Dutch driver's reputation

23/04/2025 15:44:00h

Editorial Team

Formula 1 is once again embroiled in controversy over a possible editing of radio communications between driver and engineer. This time, the focus is on the exchanges between Max Verstappen and Gianpiero Lambiase.

A man with a cap and racing uniform during a press conference.

F1 might have censored Verstappen | La Derecha Diario

The incident occurred during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, when Verstappen was penalized with five seconds for a dangerous maneuver against Oscar Piastri's McLaren. His engineer communicated the penalty to him on lap four.

"You have received a 5-second penalty for the incident at turn 1, heads down". Max replied: "Well, that's fuck... lovely". In the official broadcast, the word was censored with a beep and replaced with asterisks in the transcript, implying that the three-time champion had used a profanity.

In the official F1 TV transcripts, it indicates that Verstappen did not say "fucking lovely" (fucking lovely), but "bloody lovely" (really lovely). Although the phrase has a sarcastic tone, it is not considered offensive. From Red Bull's camp, they believe this editing harmed the driver's public image, according to the Spanish newspaper Marca.

The image shows two radio messages related to a 5-second penalty in a race, with a sarcastic response from the driver.

The two versions of the conversation | La Derecha Diario

This would not be an isolated case. In the Chinese Grand Prix, FOM (Formula One Management) had already been accused of distorting a conversation, implying that Ferrari asked Lewis Hamilton to give up his position to Charles Leclerc. In reality, it was the British driver himself who suggested that possibility. The Italian team denounced it as an attempt to manipulate public perception.

The penalty to Verstappen

Regarding the penalty imposed on Verstappen, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner stated: "We spoke with the stewards after the race and they thought it was clear. So the problem is that if we protest, they are likely to remain the same". The team decided not to appeal the penalty, which left the Dutchman in second place in the championship, 12 points behind the leader, Oscar Piastri.

Four racing drivers pose on the podium with flags in the background, one of them raises his hand while the other three smile.

Verstappen finished second in Jeddah | La Derecha Diario

Meanwhile, Verstappen chose not to delve into the matter to avoid reprisals: "I also think it's better not to talk about it because we are not allowed to express our opinions about it anyway, so...".

New rules: the FIA tightens regulations for inappropriate conduct

Since the start of the 2025 season, the motorsport governing body introduced several reforms to the sporting code. These aim to penalize any offensive gesture or abusive expression, whether verbal or written. According to article 12, any behavior that can be interpreted as rude, offensive, or humiliating is considered misconduct. The penalties range from financial fines to point deductions and even suspension, depending on the severity of the case.

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