Formula One: Protest crackdown

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2023 SPORTS

Formula One//

FIA bans political statements from drivers without prior permission

Formula One drivers will now need written permission from the sport's governing body to make 'political statements' following an update to the International Sporting Code.

TERYN MIDZAIN

Drivers can no longer wear political statements in 2023 after the FIA added a new article to its International Sporting Code (ISC).

Under Article 12 Offences or Infringements and Penalties, new subsection 12.2.1.n states: “The general making and display of political, religious and personal statements or comments notably in violation of the general principle of neutrality promoted by the FIA under its Statutes, unless previously approved in writing by the FIA for International Competitions, or by the relevant ASN for National Competitions within their jurisdiction.”

The FIA issued a statement shortly after the addition to clarify, saying that the ISC was updated and changed to align with the International Olympic Committee’s Code of Ethics and the political neutrality in sport. The statement continued to emphasize that the FIA will continue its commitments to diversity, inclusion, and human rights.

Further, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the FIA, told media at this year’s Dakar Rally that FIA does not want the drivers to use the FIA platform for their “personal agenda.”

“What does the driver do best? Driving,” said Ben Sulayem. “They are so good at it, and they make the business, they make the show, they are the stars. Nobody is stopping them.”

“There are other platforms to express what they want. Everybody has this, and they are most welcome to go through the process of the FIA,” said Ben Sulayem, adding that the FIA “just want our sport to be clean.”

The new rule directly affects the special T-shirts and crash helmets most notably worn by Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel that bring awareness to racial and gender discrimination, climate change, and human rights violations.

The ISC update is a controversial yet not unexpected move. This is a governing body and president that wants to ensure more control over controversial topics and what drivers say and do at F1 events. The FIA arguably coerced drivers to race at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after a missile strike hit an oil depot and drivers voiced their concerns. In 2020, Lewis Hamilton wore a shirt that said “arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor” on the podium at the Tuscan Grand Prix, prompting the FIA to institute the rule that drivers on the podium can only wear their racing suits.

While the FIA isn’t directly stating that these causes cannot be promoted, they do seem to be saying, ‘only when we say it’s allowed, and what we say is okay,’ with implicit threats and consequences if the rule is not followed.

Another reason this amendment doesn’t come as a surprise is the return of Qatar to the 2023 race calendar. Qatar has been steeped in questions of human rights violations as hosts of the World Cup. Additionally, Qatar Airways is a potential candidate to replace Emirates as a sponsor. F1 as a business will go where the money is flowing, and Qatar is a river of gold for automotive. It is easier to slightly silence and dictate what drivers can say to keep a healthy sponsorship deal.

It will be interesting to see how the FIA handles its new rule change. How will the governing body justify which causes it tacitly supports and how those messages are displayed? And what will be the consequences if (or when) a driver breaks the rule?

An argument can be made that driver advocacy has the potential to be more impactful with a higher risk of consequences. A fine may be worth paying for the importance of awareness, as Lewis Hamilton said at a press conference in 2021 when he first unveiled the LGBTQ+ flag on his crash helmet in Qatar. “I do feel that we are aware there are issues in these places we are going to, as there are around the world but, of course, it is deemed to be one of the worst in this part of the world. As these sports go to these places, they are duty-bound to raise awareness of these issues.”

Photo credit: @LewisHamilton on Twitter