McLaren Racing boss Zak Brown supports the FIA’s new rule banning drivers from making political statements and protests at races.
The FIA recently announced a new article in its Sporting Regulations prohibiting drivers from making and showing “generally political, religious or personal statements” without prior authorisation.
This follows the retirement of Sebastian Vettel – one of the more outspoken drivers on the Formula 1 grid.
Zak Brown believes the FIA is right to crack down on drivers who make political statements
Brown shared his thoughts on the decision with ESPN, saying motorsport needs to find a balance for those statements.
“It’s difficult, isn’t it? Because some of the issues are really good, some are controversial, some are polarizing,” Brown said.
“I think in general we want to be a sport that is doing well. We just have to find a balance there and not make every start of a race for someone a new political agenda. I don’t think that’s healthy as it can distract from what everyone has been prepared for, which is that they want to see a Grand Prix.
The move comes after the resignation of Sebastian Vettel (R), an outspoken campaigner alongside arguably Formula 1’s most visible and active social justice campaigner, Sir Lewis Hamilton
While Brown’s opinion remains strong, he added that the ability for drivers to speak to the FIA if they feel like making such a gesture is a good thing.
“I’m glad the door is open for drivers and teams to speak to the FIA if there’s an issue they’d like to discuss. It wasn’t “You can’t do this”. It was ‘You can’t do it without our permission’. At least the door is open.
“Everyone has freedom of speech. It got out of hand at times with so many messages being broadcast… does it detract from the focus of the sport? These drivers can do these things in their own time, so I think it’s within Formula 1 and the FIA to say that this is the code of conduct that we expect you to live up to during a Grand Prix weekend follow.
“You can do whatever you want from Monday to Friday, so to speak, but of course the drivers have the most cameras with them on a Grand Prix weekend.”
Vettel has used his platform on multiple occasions to advocate for saving the environment
“Politics is inherently delicate. That’s what they’re probably trying to avoid at a macro level, lest Formula 1 become a political hotbed for various issues. But damned if you do, damned if you don’t on some of these issues.
“I think we’re trying to avoid that by not making Formula 1 a political sport. Let’s just race and respect where we race. There’s no one size fits all political party or political agenda in this world, so I think there’s a good chance that every team, every driver, can convey their values in an uncontroversial way.
“It’s becoming a hot topic in all of these sports. In the NFL, it was a knee-jerk, that started there. They have the armbands in Qatar. I think these things can differ from sport and we have to find the right balance.
In 2020, Hamilton stood on the podium at Mugello wearing a shirt commemorating Breonna Taylor
In recent years, drivers have spoken out more openly on political and social issues – with Vettel and Sir Lewis Hamilton being two of the most active in this area.
Vettel has used his platform in racing to highlight environmental concerns – including wearing a helmet campaigning for Save the Bees at this year’s Austrian Grand Prix. He said that the ongoing decline in climate has made him question his place in Formula 1.
Lewis Hamilton is perhaps the most vocal driver when it comes to social issues – after leading the grid in his collective anti-racism protests and wearing a shirt that read ‘Arrest the cops who killed Breonna’ at the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix in Mugello have” wore Taylor.’
Both Hamilton and Vettel have also been vocal in supporting the rights of the LGBTQ+ community – both wore rainbow-colored outfits at previous editions of the Hungarian Grand Prix and Hamilton wore a rainbow helmet at the rounds in Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi for the 2021 season. Vettel was reprimanded for his gesture in 2021.
Both Vettel and Hamilton have been vocal in their careers for the LGBTQ+ community
In the 2020 and 2021 season, the entire grid took part in the F1 campaign “We Race As One”.
The grid also took a stand on the people of Ukraine before being tested in Bahrain in 2022
The network as a whole has also made political statements in support of specific causes.
Last season, during testing in Bahrain, the entire grid took a picture with ‘No War’ T-shirts and a banner and a Ukrainian flag on the track to protest the Russian invasion. By that time, the Haas F1 Team had already dropped Russian driver Nikita Mazepin and Formula 1 canceled its contract to host a Sochi Grand Prix. (Vettel has also raced with a helmet in support of Ukraine this season.)
During the 2020 season, drivers knelt on the grid to promote social justice and protest racial discrimination and racism.
Ahead of both 2020 and 2021 races, F1 races would broadcast a video centered around the message ‘We Race As One’. These videos did not air in the 2022 season.