[OT] Newly-formed WRC drivers association releases statement following Fourmaux swearing fine.

The WoRDA statement in full:

The Rally Drivers and Co-drivers of WoRDA, inspired by their GPDA colleagues, join together to express their opinion, seek clarity and co-operate towards a brighter future.

First and foremost, we wish to state that, as is the case with every sport, competitors must abide by the referees’ decision. The respect of this principle is not in question.

We are not all full-time professionals, yet we all face the same extreme conditions with the same relentless passion. Whether navigating through dense forest, across frozen roads in the dead of night, or through the dust of treacherous gravel tracks, we push ourselves to the limit – against the elements, against the clock, and against their own limits.

Beyond racing, our role has expanded. Today, rally drivers and co-drivers are not only athletes but also entertainers, content creators, and constant media figures. From the smart phones of spectators to the official WRC cameras, we are expected to be available at all times – before, during, and after competition, from dawn to dusk.

WoRDA has always recognized our responsibilities and commitment to collaborate in a constructive way with all stakeholders, including the FIA president, in order to promote and elevate our outstanding sport for the benefit of all.

In recent months, however, there has been an alarming increase in the severity of sanctions imposed for minor, isolated and unintentional language lapses. This reached an unacceptable level.

We strongly believe that:

– Common colloquialism cannot be considered and judged as equal to genuine insult or act of aggression

– Non mother-tongue speakers may use or repeat terms without full awareness of their meaning and connotation

– Seconds after an extreme adrenaline spike, it is unrealistic to expect a perfect and systematic control over emotions.

Rally is extreme: risk level for the athletes, intensity of the focus, length of the days… all the limits are reached.

In such a case we question the relevance and validity of imposing any sort of penalty. Moreover, the exorbitant fines are vastly disproportionate to the average income and budget in rallying.

We are also concerned with the public impression these excessive sums create in the minds of the fans, suggesting this is an industry where money doesn’t matter.

This also raises a fundamental question: where does the money from these fines go? The lack of transparency only amplifies concerns and undermines confidence in the system.

Surely the negative impressions surrounding these penalties far outweigh the impact of any language lapse.

We call for a direct communication and engagement between the FIA president and WoRDA members to find a mutually agreeable and urgent solution.

Spot on. I hope all other series in scope echo this sentiment officially. And yeah, fuck MBS.

MBS manage to unionize the freaking rally drivers.

You know the drivers who are know to to normally not give a shit about some else his problems, they have a rally to finish.

What a shitshow, the FIA should be ashamed of their actions. Cant the see they are doing the autosport more harm then good.

WEC drivers somehow managed to dodge the bullet thus far. Probably won’t gonna be long until Sulayem fucks with them too somehow

Obligatory

#*Fuck MBS*

i can get behind this. the fia/ mbs is trying too much and doesnt grasp reality

MBS needs to chill the fuck out.

the agreeable solution is OUT with MBS and his nonsense

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MBS really did the impossible… A union of rally drivers… Tell this to someone 2 years ago and they will laugh in your face

Great response. The FIA and MBS in particular have really overreached themselves.

Atleast they have a better graphic designer

Just to note (since Reddit is relatively “centered” on US/CAN): From an outside perspective it’s really weird how people (mostly) in North America treat cursewords/”bad words”. Muting, beeping, dramatizing it. It’s….weird. So making usage of some words (talking about cursing here, not racial slurs or so) that big a deal is…weird, especially for a global sport. If it were the NFL or so, a national thing….eh…okay, if you feel the need.

I have never heard of the FIA taking on all the series under it like this before. Surely the drivers from all categories need to establish a collective body. If the FIA is governing them all, the drivers must have a unified stand.
Correct me if I’m wrong. But it never happened, because it was never needed. It’s needed now.

I really wish they signed off with.

Fuck.

I wonder what was said inside MBS helmet when he drove Renault F1 car head-on in to a wall on a straight.

All drivers should just hit reporters with the old “I’m just here so I don’t get fined” line and give them nothing.

This is too eloquent for these baboons. They’ll not get the nuance and will retort with a blunt axe saying something like “remember that we own you” or something rather.

I like the way this is now [headline news](https://www.autosport.com/wrc/news/wrc-drivers-call-on-fia-president-for-urgent-solution-to-swearing-sanctions-/10698040/) on *Autosport*, even though *Autosport* provided barely any coverage of Rally Sweden. They published just three stories on Rally Sweden over the rally weekend, compared to the twenty-two stories they ran about Rallye Monte Carlo. In the time between Monte Carlo and Sweden, Motorsport Network have announced job cuts at *Autosport*, and it’s clear that international events like rallying are going to get less coverage. But hey, you criticise ben Sulayem and suddenly you get to be the headline story in a publication that didn’t give a damn about your sport a week ago. And people think he’s talking garbage when he claims the British press have it in for him.