16/02/2023
NEWS STORY
As expected, Lewis Hamilton was only too glad to address the FIA's proposed crackdown on driver activism, the seven-time champion warning that nothing will stop him speaking out.
Not only is the Ferrari launch the best so far, though admittedly the likes of Red Bull, AlphaTauri, Williams and Hass hadn't exactly set a high benchmark, it was the first at which the drivers didn't notably voice their feelings about the FIA's plan to limit activism.
However, all that changed today, when the man who has used the sport as a platform for various causes over the last couple of years vowed to continue speaking out for what he believes in.
"It doesn't surprise me," said Hamilton of the update to the International Sporting Code which is due to be discussed at next week's meeting of the F1 Commission. "But nothing will stop me from speaking on the things that I feel that I'm passionate about and issues that there are.
"I feel the sport does have a responsibility still to always speak out on things, to create awareness and on important topics," he added. "Particularly as we're travelling to all these different places, and so nothing changes."
Assuming the FIA pushes ahead with the plan, it remains unclear how exactly drivers would be punished for speaking out, Lando Norris drawing the line at (championship) points deduction but willing to pay any fine.
"I think it would be silly to say that I would want to get penalty points for speaking out on things," said Hamilton. "But as I said to you, I'm still going to be speaking my mind. We still have this platform, there are still a lot of things that we need to tackle.
"The support of Stefano (Domenicali) has been amazing," he added. "I think all the drivers have been very much aligned on freedom of speech."
Next week sees pre-season testing take place in Bahrain, which also hosts the opening round of the season.
The main TV and radio networks in Bahrain are basically state-run, while the country's newspapers also take the government's stance on most issues.
According to the BBC, Bahrain has one of the "highest rates of internet penetration in the Arab world", while media watchdog Freedom House claims legislation is used to detain or jail critical journalists and online activists.
Perhaps those in Bahrain who wish to express their frustration might wish to seek out an understanding driver or two, willing to use their influence to help their cause.
Check out our W14 gallery, here.