Formula 1 is watched by millions of people from all parts of the world on a weekly basis, meaning that the drivers are constantly in the public eye and therefore become role models for many.
Lando Norris has become the first of the younger generation of driver to use their exposure for good, speaking out on mental health wherever possible, while Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have a long history of political gestures and campaigns.
Hamilton wore a t-shirt calling for the arrest of the police officers who shot and killed Breonna Taylor as the Tuscan Grand Prix, while Vettel wore a helmet in Canada protesting against ‘climate crime’ in the country.
The FIA have now changed the regulations surrounding political gestures in the sport, forcing drivers to seek approval from the sport’s governing body prior to making the gesture or they now run the risk of a sporting penalty.
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While this move from the FIA has been met with a lot of criticism from those who claim that the drivers trying to have a positive effect on the world are being silenced, McLaren CEO Zak Brown believes the change in regulations is the right thing for the FIA to do.
“It’s tricky right? Because some of the topics are really good, some are controversial, some are polarising,” explained the American.
“I think in general we want to be a sport that is doing good. We just need to find a balance there and not have every start of a race being a new political agenda for someone. I don’t think that’s health as it can detract from what everyone has tuned in to, which is they want to watch a Grand Prix.
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“I’m glad the door is open for driver and teams to talk to the FIA is there’s an issue they want to discuss. It wasn’t a ‘you can’t do it’, it was a ‘you can’t do it without our permission’.
“So at least the door is open. Everyone is allowed freedom of speech, it did get out of control at time with so much messaging going on.”
Nico Rosberg has urged drivers to follow Lewis Hamilton’s example and use their large following on social media to promote positive change despite the new rules surrounding race weekends.
Hamilton has recently explained that he gets hundreds of approaches from organisations asking for his help on a daily basis, and while he can only do a certain amount on his own, he continues to channel his energy into what is right.