Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have been slammed by the FIA's top man for "imposing their beliefs" on people through Formula 1.
Both have done a lot of work in recent years to promote inclusivity, while using their fame and influence to raise awareness of human rights issues. Hamilton is working to create more career paths for black people in motorsport, while Vettel's passion is in tackling LGBTQ+ discrimination.
But both were used as examples by the FIA president when asked "what the sport should not become" in a recent interview. Mohammed ben Sulayem told GrandPrix247 : "Niki Lauda and Alain Prost only cared about driving. Now, Vettel drives a rainbow bicycle, Lewis is passionate about human rights and [Lando] Norris addresses mental health.
"Everybody has the right to think. To me, it is about deciding whether we should impose our believes in something over the sport all the time. I am from an Arabian culture. I am international and Muslim. I do not impose my beliefs on other people? No way! Never. If you look at my operation in the UAE: 16 nationalities! Name me one federation that has that many nationalities.
"On top, there are over 34% women and 7 religions. And even more Christians than Muslims. I am proud because it creates credibility and merit. But do I go and pose my beliefs? No. The rules are there, even now there are issues when it comes to – for example- jewellery, I didn’t write that."
In the same interview, Ben Sulayem shared his belief that motorsport has become "too political" and explained that "neutrality" is the key aim for the FIA under his leadership. "You try to separate sport from politics," he added. "We have it in our FIA status 'neutrality'. But I think some people only see neutrality and governance when it suits them.
"For me, I come from that black or white world and it is very hard to do it. When it is governance, it has to be governance, when it is neutrality, it has to be neutrality. We are therefore for one reason and one reason only, and that is sports. Now you have to be political sometimes, but not really be a politician. Where do you have the balance? The FIA should be careful not to be dragged into politics without forgetting our roots of motorsports."
Amid a backlash from some angered fans, the FIA chief later sought to clarify his comments, writing on Twitter: "As a driver, I have always believed in sport as a catalyst of progress in society. That is why promoting sustainability, diversity and inclusion is a key priority of my mandate. In the same way, I value the commitment of all drivers and champions for a better future."
