Russell expects more from Ben Sulayem and the FIA: "Words mean nothing without actions"

A first step towards appeasement? The tension between the FIA ​​and the drivers has been burning for weeks, whether in Formula 1 or in other world championships (WEC, WRC…). The reason is the introduction at the beginning of the year of Annex B of the International Sporting Code, which provides for a list of particularly high financial and sporting sanctions if drivers swear.

A decision that caused an uproar within the driver community: in the WRC, they went on interview strike in Kenya after a penalty was applied to Adrien fourmaux for simply saying "We screwed up" after the Rally from Sweden. A little swear word slipped out by the Frenchman, who also spoke English ("We fucked up") and which cost him the tidy sum of 10 euros.

Aside from rally drivers, their Formula 1 counterparts are no more tolerant of this new measure and have been calling for a rollback for months. They may finally have their way after a message posted by Mohammed Ben Sulayem on social media. The FIA ​​president explains that he is considering a modification to the controversial Appendix B. Before welcoming the change, George Russell is waiting to see if it will actually be made official.

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Russell wants more than words

"In principle, it's a good thing. But obviously, we want to see these things come to fruition rather than just hearing 'we're thinking about it' - you know, we can all think about a lot of things," asserts the Briton, president of the GPDA, the drivers' association. "We're clear that we want changes, and once they're implemented, then we can comment. But for now, these are just intentions. So these words mean nothing until the change has been made."

"I think we've been in an unprecedented time for the past 18 months, with everything that's changed and everything that's happening. When the GPDA was founded, it wasn't really about politics, but more about safety, improving the sport, and the quality of racing." continues George Russell. “Personally, I find myself talking about topics I never intended to address. But today, we're no longer focused on why we're here. We're here to race, to give the fans the best possible show, to have the fastest, safest cars, with the best technology and engineering—and yet, we're talking about fines, sanctions, insults. So yes, maybe something needs to change. We're open to it, but what we want above all is what's best for the sport.”

The Briton received support from his former teammate Lewis Hamilton, which calls for drivers to have more say in FIA decision-making. Will they now be listened to? The answer will be given in the coming weeks.

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