Lewis Hamilton has defiantly insisted that he will not be prevented from expressing his opinions by the FIA.
The British driver was unequivocal that he would not be silenced by Formula One’s governing body’s ban on drivers making political statements and intimated he would continue to do so even under the threat of sporting penalties.
Hamilton was speaking at the launch of his team’s new Mercedes W14 car at Silverstone. As the sport’s most well-known global star and a seven-time F1 champion his stance, while expected, will still be a body blow to the FIA’s attempt to regulate what drivers say publicly.
“Nothing will stop me from speaking on the things I am passionate about and the issues that there are,” he said. “I feel the sport does have a responsibility still, always to speak out on things, to create awareness on important topics particularly as we are travelling to all these different places. So nothing changes for me.”
He was reacting for the first time to the FIA’s December decision in to adjust the regulations, banning drivers from making “political, religious or personal” statements or comments without permission.
The issue has been highly contentious ever since, almost universally condemned by drivers who have objected to any restriction of their freedom of speech within the sport. F1 management have also rejected the proposal with the sport’s CEO, Stefano Domenicali, stating they would never “gag the drivers”.
Hamilton accepted his defiance may prove costly in penalties, possibly including points deductions during the forthcoming season, but acknowledged that while that would not be welcome, it was a price he considered potentially worth paying.
“It would be silly to say I would want to get penalty points for speaking out on things but I am still going to be speaking my mind,” he said. “We still have this platform, there are still a lot of things we need to tackle. The support of Stefano has been amazing and all the drivers have been very much aligned on freedom of speech.”
Hamilton joins a swathe of drivers who have objected to the ruling, including the world champion, Max Verstappen, and McLaren’s Lando Norris, who said on Monday he would also potentially defy the rule even at the cost of fines being imposed.
The FIA have offered no detail on what specific restrictions the regulation would apply to drivers but on Monday stated that they were going to issue guidance and clarity in the near future. However they are now facing concerted and apparently united driver opposition that appears steadfast in rejecting any restrictions on their freedom of speech.
Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate, George Russell, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association which represents the F1 drivers, also expressed his discontent. “I’m not sure why the FIA have taken a stance like this, I think it’s totally unnecessary,” he said. “We are not going to limit our views or our thoughts because of some silly regulation.”
Russell intimated that he was expecting a climbdown, stating that he hoped the FIA clarification would resolve the issue before the first race in Bahrain on 5 March.
With the new season approaching and having underperformed in 2022 when the Mercedes was off the pace of Red Bull and Ferrari, the team are optimistic that their new challenger, returning in a black livery for weight-saving purposes, will propel them toward the fray at the front of the grid.
“I can’t remember being as excited to get in the car,” said Hamilton, now 38 and entering his 17th F1 season. “I feel reinvigorated, excited to work with the team. It’s great to see how focused everyone is, how pumped everyone is. It’s like Christmas, you’re just waiting to open your present.”
Hamilton’s contract with Mercedes ends this year but the team principal, Toto Wolff, maintained that he expected the British driver to conclude a new deal to continue racing as the season progressed.
He believes his driver is very much still at his peak. “He appears to me in great form, very positive, motivated, energised, maybe the best so far I have seen him in 10 years,” he said.
