Mercedes News: Toto Wolff "Shielding" Lewis Hamilton From F1 After FIA Rule Change

Mercedes CEO and team principal Toto Wolff has spoken about shielding Lewis Hamilton from the F1 world whilst he in in the off-season, but confirmed they will be speaking about the new FIA rules when he is back.

The FIA recently announced a change in the regulations which prohibits drivers from making political, religious, or personal statements on race weekends. The seven-time champion has been a big force on the grid for fighting against racism and social issues, including the driver's taking a knee before races and wearing the "Black Lives Matter" t-shirts as part of the movement after the tragic death of George Floyd in 2020.

Wolff spoke with Sky Sports about Hamilton's view on the new ruling, however, confirmed he has not spoken to him about it yet. He explained:

"We haven't talked about the political situation because he's in his off-season and I think it's important to shield yourself from F1.

"This is what I'm very much doing, helping to shield. Once he's back, these things will certainly be discussed with a positive mindset. I think we need to see how this really pans out. We understand that sports are here to not make politics, but on the contrary, unite.

"I have no doubt that Mohammed Ben Sulayem and the FIA mean well to achieve the right things, it's just about aligning that with drivers that have been more outspoken in the past.

"Every time, I know when Mohammed has spoken to Lewis and the other way around, it has ended up in a positive conversation."

The Mercedes driver spoke about his activism in a recent interview with The New York Times where he said:

"If I don't have these conversations with people, if I don't bring up these difficult conversations, they won't necessarily get discussed or tackled, or energy from organisations won't necessarily be put into creating more inclusivity.

"Spending the time having those conversations and what it means and how positive it could be for everybody, it takes time. It's a constant job to have them.

"I would rather not race again and have done that and spoken out for people than continue to do what I was doing."