FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has led a crusade against curse words, updating the governing body’s International Sporting Code (ISC) to include heavy punishments.
The move came after Formula 1 stars Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Yuki Tsunoda received varying penalties for swearing during the 2024 season.
All FIA-sanctioned series come under the guidelines, including Supercars.
Steiner shot to worldwide celebrity status during his time as principal of Haas F1, largely due to his foul-mouthed reactions captured in the Netflix Drive to Survive Series.
Addressing the FIA swearing crackdown during an appearance at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, Steiner said the topic should have been better handled by the FIA.
“I think it’s a too big thing made out of what it is,” said Steiner.
“Is swearing good? Maybe not. Is swearing bad? Maybe not. It depends all on the circumstances it’s done.
“In any sport, especially in motor racing, adrenalin is high. You’re going high speeds and if somebody cuts you off, if you tell him to ‘go in the place’, it’s pretty OK to say it.
“Because, do you want [them] to say, politely, ‘hey, can you please do this different next time?’ You’re not going to say that one.
“I think it could have been managed a lot better, not giving big fines. I’m not saying everybody should swear like sailors, basically, but now everyone speaks about it.
“If it’d been handled differently, like sitting the drivers down and saying, ‘hey guys, turn it down a notch here’, it would be cool, everyone would be happy.
“I think sports live from emotion and sometimes the odd ‘f-word’, it is emotion.”
This year marks Steiner’s second consecutive appearance at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, where he is one of the star attractions.
Steiner is also tackling a speaking tour around Australia, titled ‘Unfiltered Live’, and recently released his second book.
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