Formula One drivers told not to use FIA platform for ‘personal agendas’ by president Mohammed Ben Sulayem

The president of Formula One’s governing body has told drivers they should not use the FIA platform for their own “personal agenda” in an apparent bid to clamp down on political statements.

An update to the International Sporting Code (ISC) means Formula One drivers now need prior written permission from the International Automobile Federation (FIA) to make “political, religious and personal statements”.

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel are among the drivers who have highlighted issues such as LGBTQ rights and climate change in recent seasons.

Seven-time champion Hamilton wore a rainbow helmet at the Qatar Grand Prix and Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021.

“We are concerned with building bridges. You can use sport for peace reasons… but one thing we don’t want is to have the FIA as a platform for private personal agenda. We will divert from the sport.

“What do the drivers do best? Driving. They are so good at it and they make the business, they make the show, they are the stars and nobody is stopping them.

“There are other platforms to express what they want, everybody has theirs and they are most welcome to go through the process of the FIA. We just want our sport to be clean.”

Ben Sulayem added the FIA are not “shutting down” drivers but he wants to “improve and clean up” the sport.

“I have my own personal things, okay, but it doesn’t mean I will use the FIA to do it,” he said.

“The FIA should be neutral, I believe. We need the superstars in to make the sport.

“If there is anything, you take the permission. If not, if they make any other mistake, it’s like speeding in the pit lane. If you do it, it’s very clear what you get.”

The FIA president also spoke about adding more teams to the grid.

“In general, if we look at the sustainability of Formula 1, we have to open it up to other brands. We can have a maximum of 12 teams on the grid,” said Ben Sulayem.

“Having a company like General Motors, one of the five biggest manufacturers in the world… we have to encourage them in their interest to reach the top class. That’s what I would like the future to look like.

“Then on the other side, we have the Andretti team. There is a process, we have to wait and see if they manage to succeed and be on the grid. A new manufacturer will help make Formula 1 better and I see no reason why we shouldn’t welcome new teams, especially the Americans. We already have three races there this year.

“We welcome any proposal to be one of the 12 teams. We accept good teams, even if they are small, as was the case with Haas. We hope things change and that we can have a real 11th team, we will see what happens.”