Black Lives Matter or on the circuit in a rainbow shirt, Formula 1 drivers won’t be allowed to do that any time soon.

This is stated in a new paragraph that the FIA ​​has added to the rules of the game. This refers to paragraph 12.2.1.n on page 55 of the updated, bolder rulebook published by the FIA ​​on its website on Monday. A driver who makes political or religious statements against the FIA’s ‘policy of neutrality’ without permission will soon break the rules.

In practice, this means that drivers cannot draw much attention to social issues. For example, the recently retired Sebastian Vettel wore patriotic T-shirts or helmets at every race last season, drawing attention to issues such as LGBTI rights or the fight against climate change.

Seven times champion

Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton uses Formula 1 as a global platform to raise issues of discrimination or human rights.

In recent years, the FIA ​​has continued to struggle with how far it should allow drivers to go. For example, in 2020, after the win, Hamilton wore a black t-shirt at the podium ceremony that read: ‘Arrest the officers who killed Brona Taylor’. Earlier that year, a black woman named Taylor was shot and killed by police in America.

The FIA ​​banned drivers from wearing T-shirts during podium ceremonies following Hamilton’s statements. Vettel was reprimanded in Hungary last year for refusing to remove his rainbow shirt during the Hungarian national anthem. Vettel protested in this way against a controversial LGBTI law in the country.

While the new rules raise many more questions, the question is whether such actions will still be possible in the future. How strictly will the FIA ​​enforce it? And what are the possible penalties? It is also unclear what is allowed under the FIA’s ‘neutral’ stance.

Drivers such as Hamilton or the GPDA drivers’ association are yet to respond to the decision.

An example is the IOC and FIFA

The FIA ​​said in a statement that the revised rules, which will come into force from January 1, reflect the policy in this area at the International Sports Umbrella Organization (IOC) and FIFA. In these organizations, political statements by athletes are virtually forbidden, as was shown at the recent World Cup in Qatar.

At the same time, these are the first updates to the rulebook under President Mohammed bin Sulayem, who has led the FIA ​​for a year now. He has previously indicated that he is not a fan of drivers who do not hide their opinion.

In an interview in June, Ben Sulayem said he likes drivers like Niki Lauda and James Hunt who ‘only care about the race’. According to him, many drivers today have a tendency to impose their beliefs on others through sports. After a storm of criticism, Ben Sulaym later retracted those statements via Twitter.