Hamilton says it's important for F1 to show its values as Russell calls for transparency

Lewis Hamilton said Formula One faced a pivotal moment and needed to show its values while Mercedes teammate George Russell called for transparency following reports alleging that senior leadership at the sport's governing body intervened to overturn a penalty last season.

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner has been in the spotlight after a drawn-out investigation into misconduct allegations by a female employee showed clear divisions behind the scenes.

On Tuesday, the FIA issued a statement but would not confirm news reports that allegations made by a whistleblower were about its president, Mohammed ben Sulayem.

The BBC reported the allegations surrounded interference in the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and seeking to deny certification of the Las Vegas street circuit that debuted last November.

"As someone who loves the sport, it's definitely disappointing to see what's going on right now," seven-time world champion Hamilton told reporters at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah.

"It doesn't look good from the outside world, the outside looking in. I think it's a really, really important time for the sport to show and stick to its values, holding ourselves accountable for our actions.

"And it's a really pivotal moment I think for the sport, in terms of what we project to the world and how it's handled. And it's not been handled very well to this point.

"I hope it's not a year that continues to go on with this. But it highlights some of the issues we also have within the sport."

Russell finished fourth behind Fernando Alonso in last year's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix but was briefly upgraded to third when Alonso was given a 10-second penalty because Aston Martin's pit crew touched the car with a jack while serving an