FIA President Addresses Controversial Comments on F1 Drivers’ Activism

IMAGO / Beautiful Sports

FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem took to Twitter on Thursday to clarify controversial comments he recently made in an interview concerning Lewis Hamilton’s, Sebastian Vettel’s and Lando Norris’s activism. 

The new president insisted he “value[s] the commitment of all drivers and champions for a better future.”

Ben Sulayem gave an interview with GrandPrix247 during last month’s Monaco Grand Prix and was asked “What should the sport NOT become in your opinion?” His response, in part, was as follows: “Niki Lauda and Alain Prost only cared about driving. Now, Vettel drives a rainbow bicycle, Lewis is passionate about human rights and 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.”

Vettel and Hamilton have both been fairly outspoken about human rights issues. Vettel, as the four-time world champion, recently said that he feels Formula One would welcome an openly gay driver. Additionally, Mercedes announced this week that its logo will be replaced with a Pride Star for the next three races. McLaren’s Norris, meanwhile, has worked to encourage conversations surrounding mental health. 

With the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday, F1 drivers are set to speak with the media for their routine Friday press conferences. It’ll be the first time they will face the media as a group since Ben Sulayem’s comments were published. 

In the interview with GrandPrix247, the FIA president added, “I am from an Arabian culture. I am international and Muslim. I do not impose my believes 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 seven 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—jewelry, I didn’t write that.”

The former Rally Champion attempted to clarify his comments, saying on Twitter Thursday, “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.”

Sky Sports News' Craig Slater said on Thursday that the governing body insisted Ben Sulayem is “in no way” trying to stop drivers’ activism. According to Slater, “They said he was voicing a personal opinion as the regulator of the sport. For him, in terms of messaging, the sport should come first. But he was also trying to explain that his organization, the one that he leads, he believes is aligned with these causes to make the sport more diverse—in terms of having a kind of neutrality over ethnicity, a mix of religions.”