The Formula One chief executive, Stefano Domenicali, has insisted the sport “will never put a gag on anyone”, after the FIA announced a clampdown banning political statements. Domenicali was unequivocal in stating F1’s owners stand behind drivers’ rights to speak out on the issues they believe in and that he expects the governing body to issue a clarification of its stance in the near future.
The FIA is facing an increasingly vehement backlash from drivers and teams who believe it has been unnecessarily heavy-handed and uncompromising. In December the FIA updated its International Sporting Code (ISC), banning drivers from making “political, religious or personal” statements or comments without permission.
F1’s commercial rights are owned by Liberty Media, and Domenicali is in charge of the sport which has enjoyed a huge expansion in popularity in recent years, a period where drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and the recently retired Sebastian Vettel among others have used their platform to highlight issues such as diversity, inclusivity and the environment. Domenicali strongly believes that their ability to do so was of benefit to the sport and his organisation would defend their stance, given the FIA’s position.
“F1 will never put a gag on anyone,” he said. “Everyone wants to talk so to have the platform to say what they want in the right way the better it is. We have a huge opportunity because of the position of our sport which is more and more global, multicultural and multivalued.
“We are talking about 20 drivers, 10 teams and many sponsors, they have different ideas, different views. I cannot say one is right, one is wrong but it is right, if needed, to give them a platform to discuss their opinions in an open way. We will not change that approach as a sport. That should be the line of our sport, to give everyone the chance to speak in the right way, not with aggressive tones or to offend but with respect.”
He also maintained F1 is paying close attention to the drivers’ position in their desire to express themselves. “We keep monitoring the situation,” he said. “We keep the drivers informed, we meet with the Grand Prix Drivers’ Associations to discuss it. How we can allow the drivers to be open as human beings in our sport. Athletes can be very emotional and passionate about some things and they need to discuss that constructively with people they trust.”
Domenicali emphasised, however, that he believed the FIA did share F1’s position that drivers should be allowed to speak out and that the governing body would make its standpoint clearer in the near future.
“We are talking about a regulation and the regulator is the FIA,” he said. “I believe the FIA will clarify what has been stated, in terms of respecting certain places where you cannot do it. I am sure the FIA will share the same view as F1 but they are part of an Olympic federation so there are protocols to which they have to abide.”
In 2020, with Hamilton increasingly vocal on diversity and racial issues, F1 launched its We Race As One initiative, a public commitment to improving diversity and inclusion within the sport, which was welcomed by the drivers and teams. It was one of the first sports to adopt such a policy.
Since the FIA announced its regulation change, however, the reaction from drivers has been hostile. The world champion Max Verstappen condemned it at the launch of his new Red Bull car this week, stating it was unnecessary, while Alex Albon of Williams warned that it felt like the FIA was distancing itself from the We Race As One initiative.
Domenicali maintained that what was required was a greater involvement and dialogue with the drivers to find an acceptable middle ground.
“I had a discussion with the drivers about this last year,” he said. “About how F1 could be a platform, to have a spotlight on certain things we believe are right to talk about. F1 should help the drivers if they want to discuss certain subjects. It is important to have a very constructive dialogue. If this is not happening it can create either confusion or problems where there need not be problems.”
The FIA has been a recognised federation by the International Olympic Committee since 2011 and has committed to the Olympic charter. The governing body has defended its position, stating that the changes to the ISC regulations were to bring it into line with Olympic statutes, noting that: “The ISC has been updated in alignment with the political neutrality of sport as a universal fundamental ethical principle of the Olympic Movement.”
