Lewis Hamilton has never shied away from publicly taking a stance on things he feels are wrong and needs to be under the spotlight. He uses his platform to voice concerns on various issues, including recently when Susie Wolff went under investigation backed by the FIA. However, former driver David Coulthard wants Hamilton to stop popping up during isolated issues like this. Instead, he wants the seven-time world champion to show how to be more transparent and take more accountability, something he has always urged the FIA to do.
In the recent episode of the Formula for Success podcast, Coulthard and Eddie Jordan discussed the FIA’s bizarre investigation into Susie Wolff. Both felt it was wrong, and Coulthard brought up what Hamilton had to say about it. While defending Wolff, the Mercedes driver mentioned that he never supported FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem in the first place, which puzzled Coulthard.
Coulthard asks Hamilton to be open and transparent himself first and lead the way.“We’ve had Lewis Hamilton ask for more accountability and transparency. I’m always a bit curious on that, actually. Because it’s like people ask for things whilst they’re not having to do it. Lead by example in being transparent and open, rather than just doing so whenever there’s a controversy.”
Hamilton has been one of F1’s most outspoken drivers. During several F1 races, he has highlighted off-track issues like LGBTQ+ rights, diversity in society, and human rights. But Coulthard wants him to be more open when things aren’t blowing out of proportion before he speaks out.
Why Lewis Hamilton backed Susie Wolff
Coulthard’s comments don’t attack Hamilton for defending Wolff. He and his co-host, Eddie Jordan, defended the F1 Academy boss from the FIA’s shocking claims against her. She was charged with a potential conflict of interest involving her husband, Toto, Mercedes’s team principal and CEO.
After a few weeks of investigation, the FIA dropped the case, but Wolff was enraged. Ahead of the Australian GP earlier this month, she filed a criminal case against the governing body of F1, and Hamilton felt it was important to do that. He hailed Susie Wolff’s bravery and praised her for making this public.
This is when Hamilton spoke about the FIA taking accountability for things it has done wrong, as reported by Sky Sports. He urged the FIA to be clear and open for the fans and the sport.
