So…you are not allowed to say legally allowed things…there is no law that qualifies any of lewis/seb statements/endorsements/opinions as illegal…so if it’s not illegal how can FIAs president opinion about what is allowed be legal…i remeber days when hunt was drinking whiskey and smoking marlboro while flirting with girls 5mins before start…
The FIA accepted the ban of racing in S Africa during apartheid. They've boycotted Russia. (Correct in both parts IMHO.) They can't get butt hurt by the drivers not being keen on going into a particular country. It's 100% hypocrisy. Good points, Tommo!
The FIA did not boycott Russia. Pretty sure that was entirely because the sanctions and political turmoil made it impossible to put on the event or, probably more importantly, get paid for it.
Here’s my opinion on this new rule change: 1) As a guy who isn’t into the activism stuff (like what Seb and Lewis do) and does not care too much about it, I don’t feel like it’s right for the FIA to just shut down their voices like that, they are adults and they can make their own decisions so if they want to speak on something, then that’s fine. We don’t have to care or agree on everything they say 2) I feel like the FIA or F1 are being hypocrites. Before the start of the season, they were making the drivers wear T-Shirts about condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and then of course in 2020 they had We Race as One but, when a driver speaks about something it’s an issue. To me, the FIA and Formula 1 don’t care about these issues, I feel like they are doing it just to protect the reputation of their brand because if they don’t speak out then it’s going to cause problems so they are in a tough spot But all in all, I still feel like the drivers won’t follow the rule and still talk about what they want to talk about and honestly, you can’t blame them
Small correction, the FIA or FOM did not make the drivers wear the Ukraine shirts, thedecision to wear those shirts was made by the GPDA, Grand Prix Drivers Association, the driver's trade union.
I will answer them for you 1. The drivers have to know that f1 is a multi coninental business and forcing a certain agenda like lgbtq which is haram in Muslim countries, sinful in Christianity and is hated by communists and other political ideologies, as an Arab and Muslim I feel like this is a target on our people to force western propaganda and hypocrisy to have a social influence on us which we don't stand for, we love f1, we even sponsor f1 but any explicit, culture and religion offending and belief imposing content will trigger us to cut of all deals, get political and cut off oil supply to the European union and North America, f1 is not made to promote this bullshit, the only way you will abolish racism is to stop talking about it, what f1 needs to do is stop promoting anything outside f1, this does not include sponsorships, they are grown men to also decide but they have no right to promote stuff like this, the west is obviously a joke and if not a joke they are much more evil than any communist dictator ever was, we read the horrible events like the Berlin conference and the scrambling of Africa or the millions of deaths aided or caused by illegal bombings of 41 countries like Syria, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia, China and more, so if f1 wants to be neutral in every aspect they should remind us about the disgusting things that the west have done both in the past and today 2. F1 and the FIA don't give a solitary fuck about what is happening outside of f1, using weraceasone, or no war in times when they are either popular or are needed attracts more viewers due to the support to them, f1 is sponsored by the most anti western countries that own companies like Aramco and Aramco is of course the leading provider of oil to the west and to please the west they need money and what better to do to fake the promotion of communities and fake the support to attract the average person, the drivers should not use f1 to propel gay awareness, black lives matter or save Ukraine any other content that can offend anyone, I know for a fact that all the drivers need is some straightening and thanks to Mohammad Bin suleyam with this outstanding way of running FIA we won't see bullshit like that for a long time I obviously have some form of bias being a Muslim and Arab and am strictly against lgbtq and the praise of a group of dark-skinned people over other people, I consider myself a homophobic but this does not change my opinion on this
If that is the case then it is impossible for anybody to be neutral. If someone doesn't take a side you can't just say that they took the other side as that is a false dichotomy.
@@tijgertjekonijnwordopgegeten you let it slide. by saying nothing you dont intervene. for example, if you see someone getting bullied and dont intervene, youre (whether consciously or not) siding with the bully by allowing them to continue their act.
This reminds me of how most companies treat employees, do your work and you don't get an opinion unless we say its ok. Honestly I don't know the power of the GPDA but this feels like an area to get your fangs out over.
My HUGE red flag with this is the FIA being the ones who have decided they have the right to decide what can and can't be promoted especially since they are themselves pushing sociopolitical issues with various campaigns that often involve the drivers. With all of these things...you as a fan don't have to participate, you don't have to listen, and a team's PR group will often clarify a driver statement or discuss prior to a driver showing up promoting xyz if it's okay because they also have sponsors they have to worry about. If things go off the rails, a team can fire a driver if say they were to go crazy and start wearing a swastika to the paddock. Yes, there are limits, but fighting for human rights or the rights of the planet should be "allowed" without needing confirmation of ones right to free speech and promotion of the protection of others from undue harm.
Formula 1 is an international institution they need to acknowledge international situations. They themselves make political decisions choosing the countries to race in why shouldn’t the drivers be able to express their political situations (to an extent as long as the cause doesn’t encourage harm). The drivers are often the way fans’ having their voice promoted as well. As well as making fans feel seen like wearing LGBT clothes in countries where being gay isn’t accepted speaks directly to those people from that country who are maybe even in the stands showing support for them as human beings where they may not be treated as such in their community. There’s also clauses of religion in this new rule, will Buxton mentioned Pierre’s pre race sign of the cross. And theres also the more cynical point floating around that this is going to impact one driver more than others in particular- who happens to be the driver that automatically experiences the most discrimination and alot of these “political” issues over the past couple years directly effects and that’s not a good look for the FIA. Any of the “weraceasone” things remaining need to immediately go cos it’s embarrassing to even pretend they stand by that message. Seb has been gone for not even two minutes and this happens
Because some countries will pay some extra millions so that these rules got in place. Just look how that the „One Love“ discussion during the world cup worked out. Qatar just spend some more million in exchange you ban it. It’s sad but money rules. That the fia president is also from one of these countries that would be criticized also definitely had nothing to do with it
As a queer trans gal who’s been a huge petrolhead my whole life I get constant reminders that I’m not welcome or safe in these sorts of spaces, and seeing Lewis and seb doing their part takes the edge off that for me and gives me hope I can go back to doing track days and 4wd comps one day
Then I guess Russia can be brought back in the Calendar am I right? Why involve politics? We already have a race in Saudi Arabia so it's sure as hell not because they are invading a country.
someone on twitter said that FIA deciding what is and what isn't acceptable is a political stance in itself which i agree stinks of hypocrisy and money
F1 is not a place of spreading western propaganda and hypocrisy, it's a form of motorsport under the FIA governing body, f1 should not spread or promote any western agendas to any part of the planet, things like unequal rights or the lgbtq community is taken seriously and is illegal in some parts of the world, unacceptable
@@xprettylightsx BLM. I'm pretty sure lewis himself hasn't read the BLM demands. He is indirectly destroying the work of all those hard working black people by promoting an organization which commits terror activities in their name, and who's demands are just as racist as the KKK. Just a bunch of power hungry people hijacking a human rights movement.
This has definitely been spearheaded by Mohammed Ben Sulayem. I remember him making statements disapproving of Lewis and Seb’s activism earlier this year. Ultimately when you are high-profile individuals and million-dollar institutions, you can pick and choose what is “political”. The worse thing to see however is when it trickles down to everyday people who dismiss activism by saying “don’t make xyz political”. The people that Lewis and Seb try and uplift, there’s not a switch they can turn off because some geezer online told them not to be political. These are real human experiences being invalidated by others. The whole thing is disappointing but not surprising.
Its like the assholes who were claiming that Marcus Rashford couldn't play football because he wanted to bring attention to the issue of childhood hunger during the pandemic in the UK. He was injured and his form this season makes those criticism look stupid and made by those who have an agenda of ignorance at best.
@@TommoMcCluskey Lets be real why the fuck we letting these smelly saudi's take over everything, totalitarian the lot of em don't even give a fuck i'll say it.. fed up of all this political bollocks, where you can't even say a woman was a bad actor in star wars without being labeled a bigot but these massive companies getting away with all kinds of crazy shit like pretending the middle eastern countries are hunky dory, you could take your wife to dubai and if she gets raped she's in prison cus shes fuckin married.. and everyones just like yeh whatever. Fucking joke. Rishi fucking WEF sunak with klaus shwab and the bois living it up and we just listen to all of their bollocks and are all perfectly ok with having our energy prices more than fucking double, fucking seriously. I am fucked right off mate. Don't give a fuck if I've offended any of ya, and suck your fucking mum FIA
Same person came to my mind. I dunno. As much as I avoid racism and stereotypes of nationality and religion, he kinda proves the point why racism and stereotypes exists in the first place.
I think you explained this really well! Trying to silence voices of these athletes who they make millions of dollars off of is crazy. It was really disappointing hearing the news today and hope that they can see the error in this decision. Great video!
Apparently a lot of people forget that because they personally disagree with human rights. Maybe some dipshit online doesn't want good causes being supported, but other people do.
@@tuna5618 Idk, I don't like political statements being allowed because who decides what politics are allowed? Basic human rights are one thing, but it's moved into making statements on wars. If Nikita Mazepin started making pro-Russia comments, people would want him barred from making those statements or be banned from the sport. I would too. But I don't then say that other politics should be allowed. If people truly want drivers to speak on politics, then surely they'd defend a driver making political statements that oppose their's... Right?
@@xlockedbmw This is regressive, "politics" is inherent to literally everything because its very concept is vague enough that it can be used to brand anything negatively. "Politics" has always been in F1 just like it has been in every other sport and most peoples way of life through human history, the romans used the races and gladiator events to placate and appease those in society that wanted better conditions or who would have otherwise potentially become malcontent.
@Benjamin Wilson let me flip this back, if he had a car and was making Pro Russia comments, then Russia and people who support Russia will support him because he is 'one of them' and people who disagree want him to finish last every race. The audience have an opinion on him which makes it a lot more engaging. Them expressing their views makes YOU care. A better example of this is lewis, people love him for what he has done for coloured individuals, yet there's people who can't stand it because all he does is promote Black lives matter and are sick of it either way it makes people care about Lewis.
@@Jarshall I agree with you, though I think more would happen than just people wanting Maze to finish last. And drivers can always express their political views on social media and in third-party interviews. I would prefer that while they're "at work" on camera, that they stick to the racing as well. They still give their personalities and thoughts, just without going into politics. Then the media from the teams and from the drivers could be created for whatever message they want to put out. But it's fine if nothing changes and the drivers keep bringing in politics, it's just not what I personally prefer. And I don't trust the FIA being able to selectively censor drivers. Either let the drivers say what they want, or don't allow any politics at all
It is such a red flag that the FIA released this in the off-season... they KNOW the drivers would not have taken this BS and would've called them out in the press
On "politics doesn't belong in sport"... one of the best takes I've ever heard on this that changed my mind (not specific to sport, but from a famous person) was essentially: "You don't believe that, you're just upset that you don't agree with me and I have a platform to share my opinions where people listen and you don't." It's so true, how often have you heard someone complain about someone with a platform pushing something they agree with?
I think it’s moreso indifference rather than not caring or being upset about a different opinion. Also the messaging isn’t for them anyway. For example an average fan in the UK might not be able to relate to Sebs same love message in Hungary, but it may mean a huge deal to the LGBTQ community in Hungary and start a convo nationally there.
I swear to god this always feels the way. There's a difference between believing in the right to speak openly, and believing in the words coming out of somebody's mouth.
I’ve always said this one to people who say this, I rather the person says it from the chest and says F your opinion or I don’t agree with it at all rather than keep politics out of sports Because sports is and has always been political that’s how sporting events were formed lol
Good video. Very good point about the implications of these rules. FiA has to take a stance on everything its drivers want to say now. Great job I feel like they should stay back and let the court of public opinion do its job. If a driver says something that ruins their public image they (and their racing team) can watch their sponsors run for the hills. Seems like a better solution than FiA meddling
Was thinking the same, by having to green light everything themselves they directly out themselves what they support and don't support (a driver isn't exactly gonna stay quiet if they get censored by the FIA in this day and age), which is gonna bring more PR (both good and bad) to the FIA. Think this is gonna backfire pretty hard on them.
What is F1 without the drivers, nobody other than the tifosi is traveling around the world just to support a team. We're Max or Lewis, Pierre or Estaban that's the driving force of the modern popularity of the sport the personalities real or imagined of our favorite drivers.
This is a good thing anyone who is being paid by an employer should not be able to speak their views while on the job completely agree should be true for NFL and NBA Basketball and football you are not being paid to promote your cause do it on your own time but while you are doing the job your paid for keep your mouth shut and keep the T-shirts or other clothing off yourself and out of view
>"LGBT+ discrimination is not allowed... unless in our sponsor's home country, thats fine" >"we need to tackle this climate issue......but lets take money from this cool oil company, thats fine"
This banning is definitely a step back, super hypocritical from FIA and F1, they only respect the political statements that will pay them, it is very disappointing
They drive in Saudi Arabia and get sponsored by aramaco. Hypocrites just care about money. Showing to support Ukraine but not Yemen, uigher in China or Palestine. Drivers need to reject this rule
I recently learned about the word 'sportswashing' which is essentially what Tommo talks about in the first part of the video.. this banning seems more like 'sportsbleaching', not even being allowed to share an opinion without it being approved. I think it's pertty scary and I am kind of sad there aren't any drivers already protesting this (that I've heard of)
Older fans may remember when the f1 teams threatened to leave FIA because of controversial decisions. They way the situation now I wouldn't be surprised to wake up one day and liberty media forced by the teams and drivers have parted ways with the FIA.
I don’t think Lewis is gonna care if he gets fined for everything he says he’s got more than enough money to pay, and if that’s the sacrifice he’s gonna have to make to promote his message I think he will
Perfectly worded and absolutely correct from start to finish. The FIA really need to be careful with how they police whatever it is that they’re going to have to police from now on. Nothing wrong with what Lewis and Seb have done for 99% of people who watch F1. Let’s hope we don’t get drivers, teams and FIA officials falling out because it will look horrible from the public eye regardless of who’s side you’re on.
I'm still over here trying to figure out why they try to act neutral and moral. They were so quick to cut all ties with Russia and Russian drivers and yet are dying to get back to China and are loving their lives in the middle east. Don't get me wrong I don't support what Russia did/is still doing but I fail to see how that's categorically worse than China currently trying to genocide the Uyghurs or the conflicts and lack of basic human rights that legitimately put drivers and fans lives at risk like in Saudi Arabia. At the end of the day it comes down to sponsor money and not wanting the drivers to cost them but it's one of those things that when you have the need to censor opinions from drivers to keep your sponsors happy, maybe the sponsors ain't the type of sponsors you should be doing business with. Let drivers run their opinions imo, ultimately if a driver openly has super bigoted views that would put any team in a position where they have to weigh that when considering who gets a seat.
I suspect the reason that China and the Middle east are ok for now is that there are not large scale boycotts against them . I think given the war in Ukraine there are logistical problems and perhaps some teams might refuse to go. Also the war in Ukraine is a semi immediate risk to Europe what's to stop Putin if he can defeat Ukraine meanwhile the west is buying mass oil gas and plastics from china, and the Middle East and don't seem to feel like they are in any immediate danger from them. It used to be the same with Russia but invading and demolishing the cities of your neighbor might have that effect, and yes the US and Eu ignored the same atrocities against the Syrian rebels.
the fia wants control. and now that vettel is gone, there is "only" hamilton with a strong opinion that interests the outside world. verstappen and alonso are fairly soft-spoken and superficial in their political opinions other than the obvious. and now the fia can say "we want this topic or that", and have full control without resistance from their own drivers
At the start of the world cup there was so much talk about the Human rights in Qatar. And there was lots of talk of teams/players demonstrating in various ways. FIFA seemed to stamp this out pretty quickly, and by the end of the tournament it was barely mentioned. I feel like this is the FIA following suit so as not to upset its lucrative but more problematic venues.
Another problem is that the FIA council lets call it, can be biased depending on what the individuals think and also could be put under pressure from sponsors who have differing beliefs to a driver.
With the power and growth F1 has, idk why the sport doesn’t look at itself above all. Countries want races because they’re big, so F1 should be acting (or aiming) as a big dog. Before anyone starts ranting I’m aware they need the funding for such growth but how can us fans play role in this? Ultimately the power comes down to us watching and supporting it? Doesn’t it? Just a moral and narrow perspective of a passionate fan who doesn’t want the fia to become like fifa
Excellent vid! Super happy you are addressing that the sport is inherently political. It starts from the second you classify drivers by nation/flags. Same goes for track selection as you mentioned with countries using their money and the sport for their political motives.
also thank you for highlighting it! the more people who talk about it, the more feedback the fia get for making such changes to the rules and do the right thing
3:21 If they did, they would promote that, as the FIA is only there for „scoring social points“ as you rightfully put it. It is about brand image foremost and pleasing sponsors second. Nothing else, really. Which is why I am deeply concerned about the actual progress they are making with other projects that boost brand image, like the net zero CO2 emissions. The FIA is getting less credible by the minute, not only from morale side, but also the sporting side as this could lead to precedents in sporting penalties awarded for off-track behavior. Apart from the joke the race direction was this year, this would be a cherry on the top. It also lays bare what the problem of going truly worldwide with F1 is: You have to adapt to each culture to a certain level, which is totally fine and even appropriate I‘d say. However, as more wealthy countries (not naming them, but we all know which these are) get heavily involved with sponsoring F1 by the extent of a company owned by a state, the line gets blurrier with each dollar paid. They in the end dictate with money the scope of free speech allowed. Very comparable to the situation in football/soccer with the FIFA. The institutions leading a sport claim to want to be independent of any political or religious agenda, but don’t realise they already are by accepting such demands for a (to be fair huge) chunk of money, just on the opposite side of what around 80% of viewers and - more importantly - the athletes want to express. Personally, I wouldn’t want to be muzzled by money and this is also what I expect from the likes of Lewis and hopefully other drivers as well. Everything nowadays is political, and as long as no UN laws are broken, I don’t see the need to tackle these messages. In all honesty, I would really like to see stuff like these regulations go to international court because precedents enable clarity. I find the point in time - with Seb’s departure and Qatar‘s entry as fixed race in the calendar - really interesting as well, especially with the football WC background. Very shady. TL;DR: The FIA officials are cowards, who like a muzzle for money better than freedom of any sort.
also interesting to see if they will change anything about religious gestures (gasly and perez) and politicians handing out trophies. Probably not, because fia is fine with hypocrisy like that unless it upsets the sponsors
I have also noticed that being outwardly religious is viewed as a "good" thing but if you had a driver promote irreligious thinking I bet it wouldn't be viewed well.
Then good riddance. Historically unprecedented levels of hypocrisy to protest Canadian oil while taking a Saudi oil sponsorship check. Maybe now we can just race.
@@117JamesRoss That is not how this has ever worked. Did Jackie Stewart go "well now we can just race" after countless of his peers and competitors died ? Maybe, but only until he couldn't ignore what was obvious any more, think about how many more drivers might have died if the drivers of that era didn't demand better safety.
@@117JamesRoss Youre acting like Seb ever bowed down to Aramco more than what he was contractually obliged to do. He knows he's a hypocrite, and he knows people will take him less seriously because of his position in motorsport. That doesnt mean he wont stop talking about issues he thinks needs to be addressed, even if its sponsored, funded, or directly done by the directtly people who pay him.
These drivers have more than enough ways to express there feelings about political things (social media and other media,..) Perfectly understandable that the FIA doesnt want anything to do with some of these movements. Its there company and there choice, If they dont want there name to be linked to some movements they dont want to be linked with, than thats completely normal
Imagine barely penalising the blatant copycat RP20 or a cost cap breach or deploying tractors on a race track or delaying races by 2 hours because they're scared of rain but actively threatening drivers for championing beliefs.
The problem is that without allowing activism and freedom of expression, the FIA by making themselves an “unbiased” organisation have created their own bias. To decide whether a statement is neutral is to pick the side of silence. there is some discussion for a removal of politics in sports, unfortunately each drivers have their own morality. By having “no biases” or being neutral, it’s immediately suggesting that in some cases activism isn’t appropriate. The unfortunate thing is that activism approved by a company who are unwilling to lose sponsors or fans is only socially conscious media that aligns with their own biases. To argue that they are neutral is impossible, to disagree with some levels of activism within drivers is instilling a bias. it’s just impossible. Freedom of expression is vital to defeating social issues and people with a platform have more influence, there’s nothing wrong with Sebs anti homophobic activism for example.
@David Rubinstein How is it imperialist? Many Eastern countries are signed up to the UN The organization's objectives include maintaining international peace and security, protecting human rights, delivering humanitarian aid, promoting sustainable development, and upholding international law.
From my pov the FIA ban things like this bc it doesn’t fit their image as F1 is made of people that think like, ‘how will we be viewed and what’s best for profit margins’. While individuals not beholden to public opinion think like, ‘I like it so I’ll do it.’
This comment section will surely be a peaceful one. All jokes side, this is pretty hypocritical for the FIA to ban support of human decency (which is not even political) since Formula 1 was all about “We Race as One” in 2021-2022, even tho that was a scam since it’s all about money while racing in the Middle East with no human rights. But still, F1 did the “We Race as One” thing for 2 seasons, and yet the FIA wants to ban supporting human decency, which is not political? Yep, the hypocrisy is real.
Yeah, I don't even understand why all of these messages are "political". If anyone calls gay rights or human decency "political" I immediately think they're a crazy psychopath.
@@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT Some of them don't. I know a lot of Americans who just have no idea how the world works they are taught that America is a bastion and that even the rest of the west is basically the developing world. On the other hand there are people, groups, and politicians who use that unawareness for their own strength. Meanwhile the uninformed shoot each other and call you a "snowflake" for demanding better pay or wanting to join a union or protest for better health care. Imagine if Le Pen or the AFD stripped France or Germany of public healthcare or social aid, there would be riots in the streets.
Forcing neutrality is a stance in and of itself. To force drivers to not speak out about social and political issues is a way to, in some sense, support the issues being suffocated by the organization. I agree that “true” neutrality would be the FIA standing aside and allowing the drivers to speak out about issues and causes they believe in without consequence
"Human rights" are not the issue here, the problem is that the West (note that I'm American and not Muslim) is trying to push their religious dogma (pagan secularism) onto the Islamic world. I'm not going to sit here and pretend there's nothing wrong with Islam, but I am going to say that you'd be saying the exact same things they do if the roles were reversed. I find it quite funny when the phrase "live and let live" is invoked as a jab at the Islamic way of life, when that's the exact opposite of what the West has been doing with regards to the Islamic world.
I am kinda divided on this. While I think people should be allowed to voice their support of whatever cause they back, I also think that there is a time and a place for it. Personally I thought Lewis was heavy handed with his critisism of drivers not taking the knee as he seems to be of a mind that if you don't do what he says, that means you support racism. Every driver should be able to make their choices on what they support and how they support it, not be told what to do. Wearing a t-shirt or arm band, in my opinion, should not be banned but if you tell the drivers they have to wear it, then that is not right. I do think though there has to be some kind of controls in place otherwise it will get a little ridiculous with all the drivers turning up looking how they want. Plus, the drivers still value the championship over human rights. If they really felt as strong as they do about all these issues, they would refuse to go to middle eastern countries that treat women like shit and will put someone in prison for being gay. It took a war for the FIA to pull the plug on Russia, but had the drivers stood their ground and refused to go there due to all the human rights violations that go on there, maybe the FIA would have pulled it sooner. It's all well and good wearing a t-shirt supporting gay rights or black rights, but it would mean a lot more if you actually refuse to go to places that so obviously violate human rights. That is the real statement. As I say though, I am certainly not against drivers having their say or putting their point across, but they need to be more across the board with their actions. And the FIA is the same. We race as one was great in theory, but what do they actually do to help? Yes they are setting up a women's feeder series next year, but have we not already seen with the W-Series that this way of doing things does not work. Segregation is not the way to go. Take that money you are spending on the series and use it to fund female, black or gay drivers in the existing feeder series instead. Banning is not the answer, but controls do need to be in place. Oh and just as an example of what I am saying is WWE (yes, the not real sport before anyone says anything). They do shows in the middle east and certain wrestlers and staff out and out refuse to go out of principal. They miss out on a big pay day because they have morals. That is what drivers should do if they feel that much conviction.
With you here except for your W series suggestion... fact is that almost no women have the physical ability to control an F1 car at speed... it's the same reason why there's the WNBA, PHF, Women's World Cup, and women's divisions for all other sports. Serena Williams couldn't beat a man ranked less than 150th, the US Soccer Women's National Team couldn't beat a team of 15 year old boys, and Haley Wickenheiser (considered the greatest female hockey player of all time) can't hold her own playing shinny with a bunch of guys in their 40s who never made the NHL. Men and women are physically very different, so to say they need to compete TOGETHER in the name of "equality" is just ignorant of reality!
@@BruceDoesStuff Obviously when it comes down to boxing, rugby or something as physical as that, you need to segregate (which is why there is the big argument about trans people right now). But motorsport while it does take a huge physical toll on the body, it is not the same. To say no women have the physical abilty to control an F1 car is not a proven fact as so few women have actually driven them. Look at the size of the average F1 driver. They are tiny, and the bigger drivers tend to be the ones who struggle most. If Danika Patrick can get relatively good performances and even a win in Indy car, then it is totally possible that there are women who could be at least midfield runners in F1. I am not saying there are as many women capable of doing it, but there are certainly some and if you don't at least give them a chance to compete on a level playing field against male drivers, then they will never be able to prove that. I agree though that right now the biggest name in female motorsport is Jamie Chadwick and she has her supporters who are adamant that she deserves an F1 drive, but the few F3 races she has done have not been that great. Her move to Indy lights (or NXT as it is now known) will hopefully give her a chance to prove she deserves to driver against men or if it just proves that the W-Series makes her look better than she is.
Denying the drivers a platform to speak on social/climate/etc issues is tacit support of the status quo, which in many countries F1 races in means opposition to LGBTQIA+ rights, promotion of oil and fossil fuels, and disregard of fundamental human rights. Pretty clear that this was a move to placate governments/sponsors like Saudi Arabia and Aramco, and we as fans shouldn't stand for it. Friendly reminder that MBS had Jamal Kashoggi brutally executed and dismembered for speaking out against the regime.
@CrispinBell I find oppression very offensive, regardless of source. Anyone can practice whatever religion they like but that gives no right to wield against others.
@@recab2 "Anyone can practice whatever religion they like but that gives no right to wield against others." Does this include you wielding your pagan secularism against Islam and demanding they obey your beliefs?
@@chrismdb5686 let me rephrase - pagan secularism isn't a thing, those are two fundamentally different ideas. I don't even know how that could be forced onto someone.
In my opinion the FIA doesn’t care about which position it would put them in to allow or stop a driver from sending a message, bc in any case they will just chose to be on the side that pleases the shareholders and its quite easy to know which side it is
Great video. So much to unpack here and so many strands worth pulling on. We have to get comfortable being in this messy in-between and have these increasingly tough conversations.
haha only if the FIA would put this much effort into the safety of the drivers. Seriously Seb and Lewis should paint the sausage kerbs rainbow colour, then the FIA would IMMIDIETLY remove them.
Tommo definitely one of your best videos of the year. The FIA is basically saying shut up and drive, which is absolutely out of order. We have one planet and if we can’t be civil towards each other we may as well not be here. Thanks for the vid🙏🏽
My fear in this discussion is that, in the longer run, the FIA might use this to get more money for circuits in certain region and countries, costing iconic tracks to be dropped as the price to enter would be too high at that point, where in 2030 we'll have 20 races in Qatar and 10 in Saudi Arabia, In general the FIA is not smiled upon as they recently signed Qatar for a 5 year deal as the opening WEC race on a proven not overtake circuit that has never run it, and any complaints get shutdown
It’s ridiculous, like why shouldn’t drivers fight for something that they deeply care for or know is right such as equal rights, gender differences. I know the FIA may be thinking to try to please their hosts or sponsors by preventing the drivers painting a bad picture of them but in this modern age it seems wrong. The drivers are allowed their views and their fame should be a platform to push for change where everyone in the future can have equal opportunities. I know the drivers aren’t gonna single-handedly tackle world issues but they should act as a catalyst for change to strive for a better future.
I think it's ridiculous that athletes use sports to lecture spectators about their political beliefs. If people want politics they should go and watch political discussions on RU-vid, TV etc.
@CrispinBell that's such a stupid argument a company owned by a censorship dictatorship is in a whole different league to companies who use terribly payed workers.
@CrispinBell it may be hypocritical, but people need to draw the line somewhere. State-sponsored public mass-executions are probably where many people draw that line.
I think f1 should be about driving not politics and social problems but I think the fia are a bit extreme and they are just trying to avoid controversy
As countries and peoples of the world have very different and often incompatible values and ideologies it is best to keep politics out of F1 and other sports as much as possible.
@@rjfaber1991 which "basic human rights" are you referring to? Most of what they're protesting for has nothing to do with human rights; and what little does is overshadowed by their own hypocrisy when they don't refuse to race where people are killed by the government for existing.
@@rjfaber1991 I agree that people should have the right to live together and love whoever they want. However I don't think that LGBT or anyone else should constantly emphasize and exhibit their sexual preferences under everyone's noses in public spaces with parades, flags or in other forms.
I dont think big corporations should really get involved in politics. Individual people however? They should be able to express themselves however they like.
This is an embarrassing and negative step backwards for F1, only a matter of weeks ago F1 was being praised for it's freedom toward drivers views on important human issues.
F1 is utterly corrupt. It's not even that good a show most weekends: I think we keep watching because of this social side. It's what our friends watch, and we get great channels like this to share it with.
As someone watching from a toddler age before obviously watching F1 RU-vidrs or other socials it’s the racing that’s No 1 for me and this is all added bonus to increase my interest which just grows overtime.
It’s a shame that the sport caters to people like you that clearly don’t care about Motorsport. The main appeal should be about watching the fastest drivers drive the fastest cars. Not some social aspect where you need to be in the know
I actually welcome that change. I watch F1 to see quick vroom-vrooms go in circles. I really don't give a toss about their politics and opinions. To the point that someone else raised in the comments, that FIA will display the "We Race as One" action or make people wear t-shirts condemning Ukraine war not to lose reputation, I still don't care. If they only pretend to care I want them to stop pretending. They should stop pretending they care about war in Ukraine while still racing in Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan and even USA. I don't care about "diversity and inclusion" cause I don't care about your skin colour or who you sleep with so long as you're good at your job. Just leave the constant whining and whinging about social issues OUT of the sport. This is where I come to relax, ffs
The FIA should stay out of this. I believe teams should be the ones on top of their own employees communications. Each team is a brand, and they are the ones mostly affected by they're employees actions or political statements. If any driver comes up with any unpopular opinion about any topic the team and their partners will be the most affected because their brand will be associated with that statement, and they may want to continue their association with that driver. This already happened this year in formula 2 at Red Bull. So teams should make that decision, not the FIA.
As a queer person this makes me really angry and annoyed i don’t like the fact we race at places like quatar where it’s illegal for people like me to exist freely and to shut down drivers individually and freedom in favour fia approved messaging feels like a government overseeing what it’s citizens can say to move from personal things like the same love T-shirt to we race as one it doesn’t feel genuine and it loses it’s impact and in a way makes the FIA less for the causes when they want to be “neutral” I hope the drivers don’t change and Carry on like they have this year
I agree with a lot of your points but If we keep bringing politics into every aspect of what we do (what stores we shop at, what different sporting agencies believe,etc) the world will continue to grow more and more divided. We should be able to be united on the things we enjoy together without bringing politics into it. I think a lot of the mental health issues we have now are because people are more focused on what we disagree on than what we are united on.
I agree with this. No matter what the issue is you risk alienating part of your fan base. I watch racing to get away from all the political and social BS going on. I just want to watch racing. I don’t care if they go out and raise awareness on their own time but at a race, that’s where I think they need to leave it at the gate.
Genuine question is there anything that’s stopping you from doing that though? None of that really gets broadcast during an actual session of a race or qualifying. Also the media is bound to ask questions about stuff drivers do that’s controversial outside the race track so it’s likely unavoidable anyway.
@@abolished-kaleidoscope8776 unfortunately it does take away from my enjoyment at times. There have been more than a few times I find myself rolling my eyes at some of the stuff I see on race day. This may be controversial to say but Black Lives Matter for instance. That organization is under investigation for embezzling millions to fund the leaders lavish lifestyles. Mansions, strippers, cars, drugs you name it. Yet for an entire year that’s all we saw drivers wearing and I think making statements like that and marketing for a group that is less than legitimate makes F1 look silly. Seeing Rainbow pride stuff every time a race comes on, unless it’s in the Middle East go figure, just gets annoying to me. The FIA and their net zero initiatives plastered everywhere comes off as significantly hypocritical to me considering how much the F1 circus travels burning huge amounts of fossil fuels. Its not that I am against any of these, except BLM, it’s just the constant bashing me over the head with it gets old. Like I said, crusade all you want for the things that matter, but leave race day for race day.
@@adam-gg3zt I actually agree with you on the BLM organisation. There is a difference between it and the BLM movement though. Also agree with you on the sentiment that the FIA/F1 and tbh companies in general promote initiatives that preach to the choir because it's already a culturally acceptable position where they operate in. However individuals like Seb wore the 'same love' t-shirt in Hungary, 'pride' shoes in Saudi and Lewis wore the pride helmet in the middle east where it's not actually a safe position to take. Curious to know what would get you to change your mind? Is it more about empty platitudes vs real action and stories about what people are doing to change things? You mentioned the net zero thing, that actually impacts racing and F1 has already acknowledge already it's logistics where ~75% of emissions are coming from. Mercedes are experimenting with biofuels for their trucks in transport across Europe. Obviously planes are the biggest one but efficiency and optimisation is what F1 is all about so I imagine they'll be able to cut out alot of that down. Not to mention the cost cap incentivises teams to reduce logistics so there's more budget to throw to into car development.
Except it doesn't. I don't know the stats but its possible they could be pushing away an equal or larger amount of fans by making a decision like this. That's evidenced by the sport rapidly growing at the moment despite the "political activism" at worst it seems to be a neutral with most not caring enough to quit watching, although its possible some people have become fans because of Lewis and Seb and their opinions.
how when since 2020 the fan base in f1 has grown RAPIDLY even in post dts times. people connect to humanised drivers and those pushed away are generally older people who aren’t the future of f1 anyway
What a great video .. really intelligent, thoughtful, articulate and insightful. I don't think anyone could make a better one on this important topic. Top work Tommo, top work.
Even if you think sport should not be political (which is hilariously weird and stupid because sport is supposed to be all about politics), the FIA's standards for what political is, seems to be very very low, are drivers not supposed to say that crime is bad or that treating people with dignity is good...?
As a queer person, one of the reasons I been such a fan of F1 in recent years is I felt like the sport respected us, the drivers certainly have shown their support publicly and I feel like the F1 fan-base has been more...mature attitude than some others. I will say that I am disappointed in the FIA, it reminds me of what FIFA were saying just before this World Cup, but sports and politics sadly do clash from time to time. I understand why they race in these countries, they are the places with the cash to maintain the infrastructure.
Sorry to break it to you dude, but if F1 and the drivers actually gave a fuck about LGBTetc people as they claim, they would have refused to race in Russia and the Middle East. It's all just PR to them, and you've bought in to their lie.
I find it sad that such a reasoning for being a fan exists at all. Your sexuality, religion or even what you eat for breakfast is your choice to make, not mine, not anybody's, just yours. Anybody should be comfortable being a fan of any sport they like. Except for people who drink tea with their breakfast, can't stand them, they should be as uncomfortable as possible while watching sports. That's how ridiculous it is.
that's just like FIFA, they're being advocates for the people who disrespect certain human rights. It's NOT a political matter, it's a social and human one.
I think they made the right decision personally. I basically hold Bill Burrs viewpoint lol. I'm here to watch racing and whilst I'm watching racing, I literally don't care about anything else. It's like going to watch a stand up comedy show and then the guy on stage comes on with a t-shirt and starts lecturing about the environment. He would get booed off. People came out for a good time. Whilst it's fine to talk about world issues, it's got to be done in clever ways and actions speak louder than words at the end of the day, and this is the primary reason I hate it. A lot of the time F1s actions are otherwise contrary to the messages they send out. It's disingenuous and almost in appropriate I feel. I don't like that it's ultimately rooted in BS, to be frank. And as for the drivers, I think Vettel does it really nice and it comes from a genuine place, but still, I think it's inappropriate overall for the reasons I mentioned above, and Hamilton.. well.. I personally believe deep down it was just another way for him to "win" if you wanna get deep and psychological about it. Deep down it was a power play and merc knows this and f1 knows this, hence why they took away a lot of his power. Even with the whole jewellery thing, it was a power play from F1/FIA side. Hamilton was getting too big for his boots so to speak. I think his primary motivation for caring about the world is ultimately self serving in the sense that it in the end goes to elevate his personal brand and status within the paddock. I'm sure he does actually care about the topics in question, no doubt, but idk, I don't buy it and I feel like a lot of people sense this intuitively, and the ones who have actually thought about it would never say it because it's a big thing to accuse someone like Hamilton of. I could be completely wrong but this is how I sense it as a long time fan of F1, and a fan of Hamilton btw don't get me wrong, but also as a competitive guy too, I can smell it from a mile away to be honest. I think all completive people in whatever sport know, assuming they're self aware mature people, and of course not all mega stars are, believe it or not lol. But the ones who know know.
Hey Tommo, I'd just like to add my two cents here (that i have seen other people also talk about) First, I agree with your points. It is hypocritical of the FIA to regulate drivers' speeches due to their political (or otherwise) message whilst the FIA has promoted certain messages in popular memory as far back as the 1960 when it still supported Apartheid South Africa and only stopped in 1985 (FIFA boycotted the country in 1961!). You also hit it on the head with your points on driver "realness" and what actual "neutrality", to put it better, *impartiality*, should be. There are questions to be addressed : How will the drivers (and the teams that back those drivers) react to this? Lewis in particular has promoted many relevant political messages in his tenure at Mercedes. How will it work when he wants to say something? What if someone (maybe one of the four "internet celebrities", Albono, Leclerc, Russell, Norris) says something within the unregulated space of the internet? Sure, Charles' streams have produced countless funny moments, but what if someone were to ask him "hey, what do you think about x?" It doesn't even need to be a fan, it can simply be someone walking in his room. What happens then? This has a real chance to cause more problems for the FIA, more headaches/frustration for the drivers, and more anger by the fans. Certain countries are known for causing a head-on collision between drivers and politics (the Arabian states/Hungary and LGBTQ+, England and Black Lives Matter), but even outside of the usual suspects, there's always a chance that a country promotes something *good or bad* close to a driver's heart? We are all passionate about something, and so are our close friends, our family members, our partners, and our co-workers. 2020 showed us that just a single event can trigger a worldwide response. Now drivers will have to always doublethink before they cross over the line. As for the fans themselves, it provides for a situation where the decision to penalise the Russian carting driver for doing the N*zi salute is criticised, not because of the gesture itself, but because fans will (and sometimes do) focus on the fact that "this isn't exactly 'neutrality' now is it, FIA?" providing another toxic debate among fans. To finish off, I want to say that seeing people's reactions to this has been...interesting, to say the least. While I do think the majority of people agree with you (if not completely, at least on the fact that the FIA is being hypocritical), there has also been support for this decision amongst fans. I follow an Italian F1 Instagram account with over 60 thousand followers (mostly to not forget the Italian I've been taught😅😅) and the most liked comment on their post on the FIA's decision is "Good it's a sport not Disneyland". Again, like you, I think taking a stance is un(in? non?)neutral in itself. But, in the words of my mother, "we shall see what we shall see". Have a great everyone, yall deserve it :D
Human rights are political but greenwashing in a country where the government ordered the murder of a journalist is perfectly fine, don't you understand?
First off, I think it's quick to note that the ban is DURING FIA events, which means that they still can do political statements, just not there. That being said, I've always had the same opinion about athletes making political statements. They should be allowed to do so, as long as: 1- They respect other points of view and opinions on the topics they are speaking out about 2- They don't try to pressure and/or impose their opinion and actions on other people (ex. Lewis Hamilton taking shots at drivers who didn't kneel in 2020) 3- And most importantly, they have to be coherent with what they say. And the best negative example of this would be Formula One themselves with the whole #WeRaceAsOne campaign, trying to act as champions of human rights while at the same time signing agreements with authoritarian governments to host races and/or sponsorships with the main or even the only intention of sportswashing their country (we all know which ones we are talking about, so I won't mention them). So overall I disagree with the decision. But at least I appreciate that the FIA took its mask off and showed their true colors 🤷🏻♂️.
