Sebastian Vettel became the latest notable figure in F1 to speak out against the new rules that come into effect in 2023. FIA announced that drivers won’t be allowed to make any personal or political comments without their permission, and it has been met with severe backlash. The likes of Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and Valtteri Bottas have all spoken out against this.
Vettel recently took part in the 2023 Race of Champions, representing team Germany alongside Mick Schumacher. Ahead of the race, the four-time world champion gave an interview where he called these new rules ‘rubbish’.
The former Red Bull driver claimed that he felt nothing about them. He added that since he’s not in F1, there’s not much to think about in his case. However, he does hope that the current F1 drivers take a stand against these rules.
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Lewis Hamilton will follow what Sebastian Vettel wants F1 drivers to do
In the interview with Bild, Vettel said that he hoped for the current drivers to be courageous in their attempt to protest against the FIA. The first driver who was vocal about this was none other than seven-time world champion Hamilton.
Hamilton has been vocal about social issues for a long time and has spoken about LGBTQ+ rights & racial discrimination for a number of years. According to the new rules, to continue with his protests, the Stevenage-born driver has to take prior permission from the FIA.
F1 drivers have been banned from making political statements at races without prior permission from the FIA. https://t.co/AQG6NTIcor
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) December 20, 2022
Hamilton, however, does not care about these new rules. He was adamant that he will continue with his protests, even if it means losing his own personal sponsors. It is yet to be seen if the FIA makes any decision to penalize him in case he does go ahead with what he said.
Other drivers join Hamilton in taking stand against FIA
Hamilton was the first driver to speak out against the new rules of the FIA. However, he certainly wasn’t the last to do so. His former teammate Valtteri Bottas also felt that having these laws did not make any sense and that drivers should be able to express their mind freely in the sport.
“We should be allowed”
Max Verstappen has his say on the FIA rule around drivers making political statements and expressing personal opinions on events going on in the world. pic.twitter.com/aNmJNxACTt
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) February 4, 2023
Hamilton’s on-track rival Max Verstappen too, joined him by calling these rules completely unnecessary. The fact that so many notable figures in the community including current F1 stars are complaining about this might make the FIA reconsider their decision.
President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, on the other hand, remains adamant that the drivers should maintain their focus on performing well out on track.
