Formula 1 recently announced that drivers would have to ask for permission to speak on political issues, but one driver who says he won’t be abiding by the new rules is an awfully notable one.
Formula 1 champ Lewis Hamilton, one of the most recognizable drivers in the world, says this new rule won’t keep him from speaking out.
“Nothing will stop me from speaking on the things that I feel that I’m passionate about and issues there are,” the seven-time F1 champion said Wednesday, via TMZ Sports.
Lewis Hamilton says he "won't be silenced" by the F1's new rule requiring drivers get permission before making political, religious, or personal statements during race weekends. https://t.co/aQztbN3JPU
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) February 15, 2023
The racing organization came up with the rule in December of last year. The new rule states that racers couldn’t speak on political, religious, or personal statements without permission.
Hamilton said the sport has a responsibility to speak out when necessary.
“I feel the sport does have a responsibility, still always, to speak out as a means to create awareness on important topics, particularly as we are traveling to all these different places, so nothing changes,” he said via TMZ.
Lewis has been very outspoken when it comes to talking about race and race relations. He spoke out recently in an interview on how racing saved him from the pain of having to deal with racism and bullying growing up as a child.
Hamilton who has had to battle Formula 1 over other issues before, has no plans of shutting up anytime soon. The seven-time racing champion intends on speaking his mind.
“I’m still going to be speaking on my end, “We still have this platform. There’s a lot of things we need to tackle.”
About Stacey Mickles
Stacey is a 1995 graduate of the University of Alabama who has previously worked for other publications such as Sportskeeda and Saturday Down South.