Article 12.2.1.n - The general making and display of political, religious and personal statements or comments notably in violation of the general principle of neutrality promoted by the FIA under its Statutes, unless previously approved in writing by the FIA for International Competitions, or by the relevant ASN for National Competitions within their jurisdiction.
This is a massive backwards step for the FIA given how hard they've worked to establish the #WeRaceAsOne slogan within motorsport from the pre race demonstrations to the LGBTQ+ rainbow displayed on cars noses, halo's and on drivers helmets and clothing.
A number of drivers use their platforms to raise awareness for matters, perhaps most notably, Sebastian Vettel who ran a 'Stop War' helmet in relation to the ongoing Ukrainian conflict, a rising sea levels awareness helmet and a 'save the bees' one among others, as well as numerous T-shirts to raise awareness for other issues.
📸 Top; Vettel raises awareness for rising sea levels relating to climate change and bottom; saving the bees.
This article takes away that right. That is of course, unless you ask the FIA for permission. From my point of view, that's highly unfair and is a violation of any person choosing to express themselves freely through free speech.
The F1 circus travels to a number of countries, including ones where some people don't have the same rights as you or me, and respecting the laws of those countries is one thing, but respecting the free speech of a person is another.
The FIA needs to sit down, look at the wording of this and evaluate exactly what it is they mean by using Article 12.2.1n. Why should drivers have to ask "can I" when all they want to do is raise awareness for matters of the head or heart. I urge the FIA to rethink their stance. Fast.
📸 Image credit: Aston Martin F1 Team, Formul Motorsport Limited.
Commentaires