Charles Leclerc faces stewards for language in press conference

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Charles Leclerc has found himself in hot water after the Mexico Grand Prix, as the Ferrari driver has been summoned to the stewards for his use of explicit language during a post-race press conference. The summons follows a similar incident involving Max Verstappen, who had been given F1's version of community service for swearing during a press conference in Singapore.

Leclerc's slip-up occurred when he was asked about the moment he nearly lost control of his car, resulting in a concession of second place to McLaren's Lando Norris. The Ferrari driver openly recounted the nerve-wracking sequence:

"I had one oversteer and then when I recovered from that oversteer, I had an oversteer from the other side and then I was like, 'f---'."

Recognizing his mistake almost immediately, Leclerc apologized profusely to avoid any repercussions similar to Verstappen's. "Oh, sorry! Oh, no, oh no! I don't want to join Max!" he exclaimed during the press conference.

Despite his immediate apology, Leclerc was summoned to meet with the Brazilian Grand Prix stewards at 5:15 p.m. local time on Friday evening after sprint qualifying.

This incident has also drawn comments from Verstappen, who questioned the consistency of punishments for such language. Speaking on Thursday, the Red Bull driver expressed his thoughts on the matter:

"Apparently it only counts for me anyway, because, you know, after the race in Mexico, someone was swearing," Verstappen noted. "I didn't hear anything from it. So, it's better I don't swear again."

As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen whether Leclerc will face any penalties akin to those of Verstappen, highlighting the ongoing discussion about language conduct within the high-pressure environment of Formula 1.

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