Pierre Gasly’s cheeky message to the FIA from last season’s Australian Grand Prix resurfaced on social media on Saturday, with it having been a year since the Frenchman told the governing body that they could “check my arse”.
It was at the Australian GP last season where race director Niels Wittich informed the drivers that they’d be cracking down on jewellery wearing and ensuring that fireproof underwear was being worn.
Banning jewellery was something which didn’t go down well with several drivers, especially Lewis Hamilton.
Hamilton, of course, was given a set period of time to remove all of his piercings or face a race ban.
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The Mercedes driver ended up supplying a doctor’s note to the governing body, after being unable remove his nose piercing.
As a result, he was allowed to compete with his piercing in.
Gasly’s comment about having his underwear checked was certainly one that summed up the confusion at the time, with it also having caught many by surprise.
Former Aston Martin communications director Matt Bishop shared Gasly’s comment from last year on Twitter, with many having forgotten about the Alpine driver’s comments!
“#OnThisDay a year ago, in Melbourne, Pierre Gasly responded with ribald phraseology to the FIA’s suggestion that they would henceforth be checking that #F1 drivers’ underwear must be compliant with Appendix L of the International Sporting Code,” Bishop wrote on Twitter.
“I won’t comment on that,” Gasly said, as reported by Autosport.
“If they want to check my arse, feel free, I’ve got nothing to hide. My cock, everything. If that makes them happy, feel free.”
The drivers were informed of the stricter approach to the rules during a drivers’ briefing in Melbourne, one that Hamilton labelled at the time as “the longest” of his career.
“It was the longest drivers’ briefing of my life,” Hamilton said, as reported by Autosport.
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“I’ve been racing a long time and they’ve never done such a long drivers’ briefing.
“Also, nobody in the drivers’ briefing was wearing masks. Some of the drivers were, but most of the FIA weren’t, which was for me uncomfortable.
“And then I don’t really understand the small things they are picking up, like the underwear. Are we really talking about that sort of thing? But we move on.”