Lewis Hamilton calls for more power for drivers in the face of FIA decisions

The seven-time world champion is calling for greater power for drivers, who want to be able to fully collaborate with the FIA in making decisions relating to the sport.

Published 01/05/2025 à 22:38

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Lewis Hamilton calls for more power for drivers over FIA decisions

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Between Mohammed Ben Sulayem and the pilots of Formula 1, the hatchet is not yet buried. The FIA president has taken certain measures in recent months that have significantly annoyed the twenty members of the starting grid, who have been threatened with heavy sanctions in the event of swearing.

Among the pilots, the one whose voice is heard the most is undoubtedly Max Verstappen, who makes no secret of what he thinks of the decisions taken by the governing body, particularly on swearing. George Russell and Carlos Sainz are also on the front line, helped by their position as representatives of the GPDA, the pilots' association, which allows them to pass on the messages shared by their colleagues.

Present at a press conference alongside his former teammate at Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton also took a position by calling for greater inclusion of drivers in the FIA's decision-making process. "I think the GPDA is very united. We all want to work more closely with the FIA," assures the seven-time world champion. "I think each of us wants to move the sport forward in the right direction. Of course, communication has been a challenge over time. Ultimately, we don't really have decision-making power at the table, and that, I think, needs to change."

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"If you look at other sports that have unions, maybe this is something that will eventually happen in F1 as well. Like I said, we're not looking to control things - we just want to collaborate more and have our voices heard." continues the pilot Ferrari. "Because if decisions are being made by people who have never been in our position, it's important to bring our perspective as drivers. And that's all we're trying to do."

Not exactly in high esteem among the drivers, Mohammed Ben Sulayem is also facing some internal friction, notably materialized by the surprise and immediate resignation of Robert Reid a few days ago. The Scotsman previously held the position of vice-president of the Federation.