FIA conducts ‘internal review’ over Lewis Hamilton pronoun complaint

Concerns have been raised over the use of the pronoun 'he' in the F1 rulebook.

The FIA are currently conducting an “internal review” into Formula 1’s rulebook, following a complaint by Lewis Hamilton over the use of male-dominated gender pronouns.

In recent years, Hamilton has been a leader in not only promoting women in motorsport but making racing a more inclusive sport.

The seven-time World Champion has fought incredibly hard to raise and support for the likes of the LGBTQ community and racism, something retired four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel also fought tirelessly for.

Partly due to his beliefs and what he supports, Hamilton has crossed paths with the FIA several times, most recently after refusing to follow their ‘no jewellery’ rule.

Want to work in Formula 1? Browse the latest F1 job vacancies

Hamilton supplied a doctor’s note informing the governing body that he couldn’t remove his nose piercing, as it’d be a health concern for the Mercedes driver.

Now he’s criticised the governing body for being “only men”, with the 38-year-old wanting more women to be seen in the FIA boardrooms.

Hamilton was asked for his thoughts on the lack of female or gender-neutral pronouns in the rule book, something he admits isn’t a “surprise” given how male dominant the governing body is.

“It doesn’t surprise me. It is only men in that room and it has been since I’ve been here,” Hamilton said, as reported by the Express.

Article continues below

“There has not been enough importance [on changing], probably. Maybe there is another side but definitely not encouraging to hear that.”

The main issue is the use of the pronoun ‘he’ in the F1 rulebook, while other championships use the word ‘rider’.

Whilst F1 and the FIA say that they are pushing for a female driver to return to the pinnacle of motorsport, the wording of the rulebook would suggest otherwise.

READ: How Formula 1 drivers are enjoying their summer before 2023 Dutch GP

Incredibly, the FIA are actually looking into the matter, which is “under internal review”.

“The FIA statutes are prefaced by a statement that terms referring to any person are applicable to both genders, and this topic is currently under internal review,” an FIA spokesperson told RacingNews365.com.

F1 hasn’t had a female driver participate in a session since the 2014 British Grand Prix, where Susie Wolff completed Free Practice 1 for Williams.