Photo: Lewis Hamilton / Twitter
Formula 1 has recently been struck by a new ruling from the FIA regarding the free speech of drivers, which was obviously not taken well by a good chunk of the contestants. An effort to get clarification about this rule and possibly overturn it was spearheaded by seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, seemingly with some degree of success.
Before going further, let us see what exactly this means. According to the new rule, drivers are prohibited from making political, religious, or personal statements during the Grand Prix event.
This affects everything the drivers say, do, or wear for most of a Grand Prix weekend. Expressing personal beliefs will not be allowed during drivers' parades, national anthem ceremonies, driver group photographs, and podium celebrations.
In addition to that, it is also prohibited for drivers to do so during press conferences, unless directly asked by an accredited journalist. Albeit, this only applies if said statements are in violation of the general principle of neutrality, which is understandable.
The FIA does not want to alienate fans by being associated with any specific stance on matters unrelated to the sport itself. But there is a silver lining to this, with some exceptions being given as a result of the backlash from the drivers.
According to the FIA, drivers still can "express their views on any political, religious or personal matter before, during and after the International Competition, in their own space, and outside the scope of the International Competition." So this still leaves drivers with a few outlets to express their beliefs, such as social media platforms or media interviews.
The FIA also conceded that certain actions or statements could still be allowed, if, and only if, the proper protocol is followed. That means sending a request four weeks prior to the event, complete with reasons why it should be approved.
This idea sounds silly at best, as by the time four weeks have passed, it might already be too late to address an important issue. Ignoring this lengthy procedure will bring with it an unspecified penalty, which certainly does not sound promising.
Adding insult to injury, Formula 1 and the FIA can’t even seem to agree on what should require approval. An example given was wearing a pride logo in places like Qatar or Saudi Arabia, which F1 supports but the FIA does not.
Even with some ground having been gained, the drivers are still unhappy. Hamilton took the lead, saying that the new rule would not stop him from doing so. Lando Norris concurred, stating, "We are not in a school and we shouldn't have to ask about everything and say, 'can we do this?' and 'can we do that?' We are grown up enough to make smart decisions."
Other drivers like Alexander Albon and Kevin Magnussen expressed similar feelings regarding this rule. With this much pressure from the people who are directly affected, we can hopefully see this issue be addressed better.
This affects everything the drivers say, do, or wear for most of a Grand Prix weekend. Expressing personal beliefs will not be allowed during drivers' parades, national anthem ceremonies, driver group photographs, and podium celebrations.
In addition to that, it is also prohibited for drivers to do so during press conferences, unless directly asked by an accredited journalist. Albeit, this only applies if said statements are in violation of the general principle of neutrality, which is understandable.
The FIA does not want to alienate fans by being associated with any specific stance on matters unrelated to the sport itself. But there is a silver lining to this, with some exceptions being given as a result of the backlash from the drivers.
According to the FIA, drivers still can "express their views on any political, religious or personal matter before, during and after the International Competition, in their own space, and outside the scope of the International Competition." So this still leaves drivers with a few outlets to express their beliefs, such as social media platforms or media interviews.
The FIA also conceded that certain actions or statements could still be allowed, if, and only if, the proper protocol is followed. That means sending a request four weeks prior to the event, complete with reasons why it should be approved.
This idea sounds silly at best, as by the time four weeks have passed, it might already be too late to address an important issue. Ignoring this lengthy procedure will bring with it an unspecified penalty, which certainly does not sound promising.
Adding insult to injury, Formula 1 and the FIA can’t even seem to agree on what should require approval. An example given was wearing a pride logo in places like Qatar or Saudi Arabia, which F1 supports but the FIA does not.
Even with some ground having been gained, the drivers are still unhappy. Hamilton took the lead, saying that the new rule would not stop him from doing so. Lando Norris concurred, stating, "We are not in a school and we shouldn't have to ask about everything and say, 'can we do this?' and 'can we do that?' We are grown up enough to make smart decisions."
Other drivers like Alexander Albon and Kevin Magnussen expressed similar feelings regarding this rule. With this much pressure from the people who are directly affected, we can hopefully see this issue be addressed better.
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