Last December, the FIA introduced a new regulation according to which Formula 1 drivers will be prohibited from expressing themselves politically unless approved by the world association. Lewis Hamilton does not want to be intimidated by this.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has confirmed that he will continue to engage in politics despite the new FIA ban. For years, the Brit has been one of those Formula 1 drivers in the grid who repeatedly use their reach to stimulate discussions outside of the sport.
“We have this platform and I feel a great responsibility. I’m not just a Formula 1 driver and I can’t just thrive and move on with my life. This is a platform to initiate change and have conversations,” said Hamilton on the podcast “The Fast and the Curious”.
Hamilton doesn’t care about the consequences
The 38-year-old wants to “encourage these uncomfortable conversations” and “hold accountable those people who have been content with the status quo in the past.” The seven-time world champion explained: “It frustrates me. We can make a difference and I want to help people feel more involved. Our sport, motorsport, but also any other sport or any other company should not be able to continue like this that there is no diversity”.
Hamilton travels with his colleagues “to many countries where there are difficult human rights problems, where people are simply not treated as human beings”. There are therefore still “many different things that we have to tackle and fix”.
It is not yet known what the consequences are for F1 drivers if they make political statements despite the new regulation. Lewis Hamilton doesn’t want to think about it anyway: “It’s so important that someone comment on it. I don’t care if I don’t win another race – I’ll talk about these things, whether people like it or not.”