George Russell, after teammate Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, among others, is the next driver to strongly reject the ban on political statements. The Brit speaks out strongly and calls the ban ‘totally unnecessary’ and, according to the Mercedes driver, it does not fit in the world we live in now. Russell doesn’t understand the FIA’s position and hopes it’s just a misunderstanding.
The FIA’s new rule on making political statements has been a topic of discussion for quite some time and several drivers have already spoken out against the position of the motorsport body. Like his colleagues, Russell doesn’t really understand why the FIA wants to ban political statements. “I think it’s totally unnecessary and doesn’t fit the world we live in now,” the Briton told RaceFans. “We hope for an explanation and then I expect it to be resolved. I’d like to believe it’s all a misunderstanding.’
Earlier, teammate Hamilton, who has been expressing himself about the problems in the world for years, has already said that he does not care much about the new rule. The seven-time world champion is not about to be silenced and Russell thinks his team-mate won’t be alone. “We’re not going to keep our thoughts to ourselves by a stupid rule. We are all here to speak up and share our thoughts.’
Russell hopes for a solution before the season starts
Last week, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali already announced that the sport will not silence the drivers. Russell is therefore confident that the situation will be resolved quickly and that the drivers will no longer have to worry about it when the season starts. “I count on the situation to be clarified and I hope it will be resolved before the start of the season. I can’t imagine that they (FIA, ed.) want to hinder us from expressing our opinion. This falls under freedom of expression and we have the right to express our opinion on any platform,” he concludes.
