George Russell takes aim at ‘silly’ FIA political ban
Mercedes driver Russell - who acts as a director for the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association - also labelled the FIA’s new regulation ‘totally unnecessary’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.George Russell insists Formula 1 drivers will not restrict their views on political and personal matters due to some “silly regulation.”
The FIA, F1’s governing body, has recently updated its international sporting code to prevent drivers from making “political, religious or personal” remarks without prior approval.
Yet numerous drivers have rallied against the rule change in the past few weeks and Russell’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton - who has been among those vocal on issues such as racial inequality and diversity - said on Wednesday nothing would stop him speaking out.
And Russell, speaking at Mercedes’ 2023 car launch at Silverstone, echoed that sentiment, describing the regulation as “totally unnecessary” but added his hope that clarity would be found prior to the first race of the season in Bahrain.
“I am not too sure why the FIA has taken a stance like this,” Russell, a director for the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, said.
“It is totally unnecessary in the sport and the world we live in at the moment. We are not going to limit our views, or our thoughts, because of some silly regulation.
“We are seeking clarification from the FIA and I hope it was a misunderstanding and trust it will be resolved before the first race.
“I cannot imagine that they would want to restrict any of us from our views. It is about freedom of speech and we have a right to share our view across any platform that we wish.”
Russell, who won his first Formula 1 race in Brazil last November, finished above Hamilton in the Driver Standings last season and threw down the gauntlet to double world champion Max Verstappen, his Red Bull team and last year’s runners-up Ferrari ahead of the 2023 campaign.
“I’m going into my fifth year (in F1) - three difficult years at the back of the grid and last year was a good taste,” Russell, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Wednesday, added.
“I feel absolutely ready to fight against Max. I’m sure Ferrari will come out fast. We want to go for it.
“We’re going to be doing our best to achieve, but we need to see where the car is. I was happy last year in terms of maximising a difficult package but with outright results, we weren’t happy.”
Pre-season testing takes place next week in Bahrain before the first race of the season at the same circuit on 3-5 March.
Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments