George Russell takes aim at ‘silly’ FIA political ban

George Russell insists Formula 1 drivers will not restrict their views on political and personal matters due to some “silly regulation.”

The FIA, F1’s governing body, has recently updated its international sporting code to prevent drivers from making “political, religious or personal” remarks without prior approval.

Yet numerous drivers have rallied against the rule change in the past few weeks and Russell’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton - who has been among those vocal on issues such as racial inequality and diversity - said on Wednesday nothing would stop him speaking out.

And Russell, speaking at Mercedes’ 2023 car launch at Silverstone, echoed that sentiment, describing the regulation as “totally unnecessary” but added his hope that clarity would be found prior to the first race of the season in Bahrain.

“I am not too sure why the FIA has taken a stance like this,” Russell, a director for the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association, said.

“It is totally unnecessary in the sport and the world we live in at the moment. We are not going to limit our views, or our thoughts, because of some silly regulation.

“We are seeking clarification from the FIA and I hope it was a misunderstanding and trust it will be resolved before the first race.

“I cannot imagine that they would want to restrict any of us from our views. It is about freedom of speech and we have a right to share our view across any platform that we wish.”

Russell, who won his first Formula 1 race in Brazil last November, finished above Hamilton in the Driver Standings last season and threw down the gauntlet to double world champion Max Verstappen, his Red Bull team and last year’s runners-up Ferrari ahead of the 2023 campaign.

“I’m going into my fifth year (in F1) - three difficult years at the back of the grid and last year was a good taste,” Russell, who celebrated his 25th birthday on Wednesday, added.

“I feel absolutely ready to fight against Max. I’m sure Ferrari will come out fast. We want to go for it.

“We’re going to be doing our best to achieve, but we need to see where the car is. I was happy last year in terms of maximising a difficult package but with outright results, we weren’t happy.”

Pre-season testing takes place next week in Bahrain before the first race of the season at the same circuit on 3-5 March.

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