The FIA was wrong to "make a big story" out of the Max Verstappen swearing controversy, says Guenther Steiner.

Jos Verstappen criticizes the FIA's penalty against his son, Max, for swearing during the Thursday press conference ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix.

Former Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has said that the FIA were wrong to make a big story out of the Max Verstappen swearing incident.

Guenther Steiner has criticised the way the FIA have handled the banning of swearing by F1 drivers and suggested they should have solved any grievances in private. Max Verstappen became the first target of the rule enforced by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem but Steiner believes drivers like the Dutchman should have been spoken to in private.