Yuki Tsunoda has been fined €40,000 for making inappropriate comments over his radio during today's qualifying session.

After being overtaken by Guanyu Zhou in the pitlane during Q1, the RB driver was heard to say "these guys are f****** retards!".

Initially picked up by fans who had access to his team radio, the comment was subsequently spotted on social media and reported to the stewards who summoned the Japanese.

During the hearing Tsunoda was "very apologetic", according to the stewards and explained that because English is not his first language he was unaware until after the session what the meaning of the words used is.

He said he was horrified when he learned the meaning and contended that his understanding of the words was different, though he acknowledged that this should not be considered as an excuse.

The stewards appreciated the RB driver's honesty, but reinforced the fact the words used are offensive and wholly inappropriate. Indeed, to have used such words over a platform that is available to the public amounted to misconduct as defined in Article 20 of the International Sporting Code.

Considering the circumstances, the stewards determined that a severe fine was required, but also took into account the genuine remorse of the driver and his offer to issue a public apology, and for those reasons opted to suspend part of the fine imposed.

Tsunoda was fined €40,000 of which €20,000 is suspended for the remainder of the 2024 season on condition that no infringement of a similar nature occurs.

Claims that the RB driver uttered what a bunch of utter f****** w****** after the hearing are thought to be groundless.

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Wokingchap, 30/06/2024 10:51

"Great comments here, and i suppose the stewards won't be available for an interview."

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2. Posted by Spindoctor, 30/06/2024 10:13

"If he didn't know what it meant then his random choice of the word was amazing happenstance.
A reprimand & donation to an appropriate charity would have been a more helpful outcome.

It's given the anti-woke brigade an opportunity to have a good froth, anyway."

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3. Posted by flyinglap, 30/06/2024 8:15

"To Yuki's kind attention: From Wikipedia: "Retard was previously used as a medical term. The verb "to retard" means 'to delay or hold back', and so "retard" became known as a medical term in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to describe children with intellectual disabilities, or retarded mental development. For context, until the 1960s, the terms moron, idiot, cretin, and imbecile were all genuine, non-offensive terms used, including by psychiatrists, to refer to people with mental intellectual disabilities and low intelligence. These words were discontinued in that form when concerns arose that they had developed negative meanings, with "retard" and "retarded" replacing them. After that, the terms "handicapped" (United States) and "disabled" (United Kingdom) replaced "retard" and "retarded". Disabled is now considered a more polite term than handicapped in the United States as well.". Therefore, next time on occasion of a similar incident, the appropriate radio message should ideally be "f****** disabled". Conversely, upon praising a fellow racer for getting out of the way in a timely manner or for performing some other favorable motion on track, the ultimate expression of appreciation could well be to call him "homosexual", which would indeed make him feel proud of himself. Cheers"

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4. Posted by Celtic Tiger, 30/06/2024 4:19

"He knew what he was saying because he applied it correctly in the context of the situation. Regardless, a $40,000 fine? Even halved to $20,000 is just... well... f@#king retarded. "

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Tsunoda fined for "inappropriate comments"

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