Japanese F1 driver Yuki Tsunoda fined £30,000 for offensive slur directed at a rival over the radio at the Austrian Grand Prix
- Yuki Tsunoda made a slur against people with disabilities while speaking on the team radio
- The 24-year-old was later hauled before race stewards and fined £33,900.
- He apologized on social media and said he had not used the word intentionally
Japanese Formula 1 driver Yuki Tsunoda has been fined more than £30,000 for making an insulting comment to a rival during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix.
RB driver Tsunoda, 24, made a slur against disabled people after an incident involving Sauber driver Zhou Guanyu and was later summoned before race stewards.
According to the stewards, Tsunoda had expressed frustration at queuing in the pit lane during yesterday’s second session, saying ‘these guys are f***ing r****ded’.
This led to him being brought before the commission for a possible breach of the misconduct rules set out in the FIA’s International Sporting Code.
Images of the moment he uttered the insult quickly circulated on social media.
Japanese F1 driver Yuki Tsunoda has been fined after making an insulting comment towards a rival
Tsunoda heard the word ‘r****ded’ used on the radio during qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix
Tsunoda told the stewards he did not realize what the term meant in English, which is not his native language, and said he was “shocked” when he found out.
“During the hearing, the driver apologized,” an FIA statement said.
He claimed that he had understood the words differently, but acknowledged that this should not be taken as an excuse for his actions.
‘The stewards appreciate the driver’s honesty but stress that the words used are offensive and completely inappropriate.’
The stewards took into account Tsunoda’s ‘sincere remorse and his offer to publicly apologise’ and suspended half the fine until the end of the season.
He was hauled before the stewards and later issued an apologetic statement about X
Tsunoda told the stewards he hadn’t realised what the term ‘ableist’ meant in English
“Hello, I wanted to apologize for what I said on the radio today,” Tsunoda said in a short statement on X, formerly Twitter. ‘It is clear that I did not use it deliberately and that I completely misunderstood its exact meaning.
‘I now understand better what the word means and I apologize for what I said.
“There is no place or tolerance for this type of language, and I am sorry for that.”
Tsunoda will start today’s race 14th. He is 10th in the drivers’ standings.