In December, the FIA, the federation that rules Formula One and other racing series, updated its International Sporting Code for the 2023 season to include a new article stating that political, religious and personal statements during race weekends will require written approval.
Before the start of the 2023 F1 seasonSeven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton was asked about the crackdown on political statements, and the star driver said the new rules won’t stop him from speaking his mind.
Lewis Hamilton of the Mercedes AMG-Petronas F1 Team at the finish of the Hungarian F1 Grand Prix. (Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images)
«I’m not surprised, but nothing is going to stop me from talking about the things that I feel I’m passionate about and the issues that exist,» Hamilton said Wednesday. «I feel like sport has a responsibility, still, always, to speak as a means of raising awareness about important issues, particularly when we travel to all these different places, so nothing changes.»
F1 DRIVERS PREVENED FROM MAKING POLITICAL STATEMENTS WITHOUT APPROVAL
Asked if he was prepared to be penalized for violating the rule, Hamilton said he will continue to «speak his mind» even if it costs him points.
Lewis Hamilton attends the Dior Fall 2023 Menswear Show on December 3, 2022 in Giza, Egypt. (Stephane Cardinale/Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images)
«I think it would be silly to say that I would like to get penalty points for talking about things,» Hamilton said. «But as I told you, I’m still going to speak my mind, and because we still have this platform, there’s still a lot of things that we need to address.»
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The penalty for violating the new rule is still unclear.
Multiple drivers have made statements with his clothing in recent years, including Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP wears a T-shirt displaying the message ‘Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor’ as he celebrates victory after the Tuscany F1 Grand Prix at Mugello Circuit on September 13, 2020 in Scarperia, Italy. (Dan Istitene/Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
At the Tuscany Grand Prix in 2020, Hamilton wore a T-shirt with the message «Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor.»
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Last week, Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali said F1 would «never bite anyone» and said the sport «will give everyone the chance to speak in the right way.»
Associated Press contributed to this report