Lewis Hamilton in fresh spat with FIA president but Mercedes woes continue in Baku

Lewis Hamilton has told the ruler of Formula One's governing body that he will not be silenced - and encouraged his fellow drivers to be more outspoken.

Ahead of this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix, FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem questioned whether Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Lando Norris should express their views.

In an interview with GrandPrix247, Emirati Ben Sulayem was asked what Formula One should not become.

He replied: "Niki Lauda and Alain Prost only cared about driving.

"Now, Vettel drives a rainbow bicycle, Lewis is passionate about human rights and Norris addresses mental health.

"Everybody has the right to think. To me, it is about deciding whether we should impose our beliefs in something over the sport all the time.

"I am from an Arabian culture. I am international and Muslim. I do not impose my beliefs on other people. No way. Never."

Former rally star Ben Sulayem later wrote on Twitter: "As a driver, I have always believed in sport as a catalyst of progress in society.

"That is why promoting sustainability, diversity and inclusion is a key priority of my mandate. In the same way, I value the commitment of all drivers and champions for a better future."

But seven-time world champion Hamilton, who has become a leading voice for improving diversity within the sport, said: "I heard that he clarified things on social media which is positive. But it doesn't stop us from doing what we are doing.

"The sport is continuously growing. We have a bigger audience than ever before. And it continues to be an important platform for us to use our voices, every single one of us, to do more and to speak out more on things and to spark more conversations.

"Creating a more inclusive environment is so important, as is