Sky Sports had to issue an apology and cut audio from the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix cooldown room after an X-rated moment involving Max Verstappen.
Verstappen continued his recent F1 resurgence by making it back-to-back victories with a dominant performance to claim his first win at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday.
The four-time world champion comfortably beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, while championship leader Andrea Kimi Antonelli finished third to move ever closer to clinching his first world title.
Verstappen’s swearing was picked up on the broadcast when the cameras followed the top-three into the post-race cooldown room, before the drivers head onto the podium.
Max Verstappen celebrates his first Singapore Grand Prix victory
Verstappen was heard saying: “F*** off. A load of s***” as he drank from a bottle of water. It is not clear exactly what the Dutchman was swearing about.
It prompted Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft to apologise.
“I apologise for Max Verstappen’s language in the cooldown room there,” he said.
Moments later, Antonelli also swore, saying “f***” before the audio was cut altogether.
Croft later added: “Apologies for some of the colourful language you may have heard from the cool-down room.”
Could Verstappen get a penalty for swearing?
Verstappen on the podium with race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase
© XPB Images
In recent years F1’s governing body the FIA has attempted to clampdown on drivers swearing by issuing fines.
Verstappen was famously ordered to complete an effective form of community service at the end of 2024 for using an expletive during a press conference at that year’s Singapore Grand Prix.
The Dutchman has criticised the FIA’s rules on swearing, leading to a tense stand-off with president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The FIA ultimately reduced the penalties for drivers swearing or criticising officials in May 2025 following widespread outcry.
For a first offence, drivers can now be hit with a £4,200 fine, with “more severe penalties” potentially dished out for “very serious offences”.
However, a clear distinction has been made between offences committed in “non-controlled” and “controlled” environments.
Comments made in the heat of the moment when inside the car, for example, are less likely to be punished than those made in a news conference.
To date, no F1 driver has been punished for swearing in the cooldown room.
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