Toto Wolff and Fred Vasseur receive warnings over ‘swearing’ in Las Vegas

The Mercedes and Ferrari chiefs were irate for different reasons during a team principals’ press conference

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and Ferrari chief Fred Vassuer have both received formal warnings from the FIA stewards over their conduct in a heated press conference in Las Vegas last week.

The team principals’ presser took place last Thursday evening at F1’s newest race, after a first practice abruptly curtailed following a manhole cover incident, with Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari badly damaged in the incident.

Vasseur was scathing of Formula 1 at the start of the press conference, labelling the incident “unacceptable” before adding “we’ve f***ed up the session for Carlos”. To add salt to the wounds, the damage sustained resulted in Sainz taking an extra power unit, thereby exceeding his season’s allocation and he received a 10-place grid penalty for the race on Saturday night.

Wolff, however, defended the sport after being questioned about whether the incident was a “black eye” for Formula 1 – before adding “you’re speaking about a f***ing drain cover that’s come undone, that’s nothing.”

Wolff and Vasseur saw the stewards on Thursday evening in Abu Dhabi and were both given warnings for their language.

Vasseur was given mitigation due to being upset at the incident in FP1 while Wolff was “provoked by an abrupt interjection” – and it wasn’t usual for him to use foul language.

F1’s return to Vegas for the first time in 41 years started in farcical fashion last week when FP1 was cancelled after just eight minutes.

Toto Wolff (left) and Fred Vasseur (right) were given formal warnings by the stewards in Abu Dhabi (Getty Images)

Wolff said: “It is a Thursday night. We have a free practice 1 that we’re not doing, they’re going to seal the drain covers. Nobody is going to talk about that tomorrow morning.”

Yet when prompted by a journalist saying it’s “absolutely rubbish”, Wolff erupted.

“It’s completely ridiculous,” he said. “How can you even dare talk bad about an event that sets the new standards to everything?

“And then you’re speaking about a f****** drain cover that’s come undone, that’s nothing. It’s FP1, give credit to the people that have set up this grand prix. That have made this sport much bigger than it ever was.

“Have you ever spoken about someone or written a good word? You should about all these people that have been out here. Liberty [F1 owners] have done an awesome job and just because in FP1 a drain cover has come undone we shouldn’t be moaning.”