‘Nothing will stop me’: Lewis Hamilton defiant in face of possible FIA censure

Lewis Hamilton has defiantly insisted he will not be prevented from expressing his opinions by the FIA. The British driver was unequivocal that he would not be silenced by Formula One’s governing body’s ban on drivers making political statements and intimated he would continue to do so even under the threat of sporting penalties.

Hamilton was speaking at the launch of his team’s new Mercedes W14 car at Silverstone. As the sport’s most well-known global star and a seven-time F1 champion his stance, while expected, will still be a body blow to the FIA’s attempt to regulate what drivers say publicly.

“Nothing will stop me from speaking on the things I am passionate about and the issues that there are,” he said. “I feel the sport does have a responsibility still, always to speak out on things, to create awareness on important topics particularly as we are travelling to all these different places. So nothing changes for me.”

He was reacting for the first time to the FIA’s decision in December 2022 when the governing body announced it was adjusting the regulations, banning drivers from making “political, religious or personal” statements or comments without permission.

The issue has been highly contentious ever since, almost universally condemned by drivers who have objected to any restriction of their freedom of speech within the sport. F1 management have also rejected the proposal with the sport’s CEO Stefano Domenicali stating they would never “gag the drivers”.

Hamilton accepted his defiance may prove costly in penalties, possibly including points deductions during the forthcoming season, but acknowledged that while that would not be welcome, it was a price he considered potentially worth paying.

“It would be silly to say