“Not every start of a race has to be a new political agenda,” Zak Brown backs the FIA for their ruling on the drivers taking any political stand
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In a recent move by the FIA, any unprecedented political statements by the Formula 1 drivers have been banned. The authoritative body has stated that they require the racers to previously notify if they want to make such political statements and get their requests approved before doing so. This decision has received a lot of scrutiny from all the F1 fans and some people have argued against it and criticized it while others have welcomed it. Now, McLaren Boss Zak Brown has joined the movement to give his take on the FIA’s ruling.
According to the American, he believes the political statements in Formula 1 should be kept at a minimum, and thus he supports what FIA have ruled for. He would prefer the highest league of motorsports to be spared of the murky waters of politics, and thus he wants F1 to maintain a neutral image. But many of the other people associated with Formula 1 do not feel the same way. In the past, the most active spokespersons with regards to political matters have been Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, who have taken a stand whenever some injustice has come to their notice.
Even during his farewell program at the end of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel wore a green Aston Martin t-shirt with a slogan addressing Climate Change, and his stand has been appreciated by many fans who support him. But according to the new rule of the FIA, Sebastian Vettel would have had to take permission before wearing such a statement on his t-shirt. And Zak Brown is supportive of this since he thinks Formula 1 should not involve itself with world politics.
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Zak Brown wants Formula 1 to steer clear of the “tricky” and “polarising” topics
Only a couple of years ago, the world was burning since the murder of Breonna Taylor and then George Floyd at the hands of the American police highlighted the brutal way the peacekeepers view Black citizens. Lewis Hamilton raised his voice to address this issue by using his platform in F1 as he wore a t-shirt at the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix with the message, “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor.“
Now, the FIA have ruled against such displays by the F1 racers as they have prohibited them from taking any outright political stand unless they are previously permitted to do so. McLaren CEO Zak Brown said about this, “I think in general we want to be a sport that is doing good. We just need to find a balance there and not have every start of a race being a new political agenda for someone. I don’t think that’s healthy as it can detract from what everyone has tuned in to, which is they want to watch a grand prix.”
The world is currently in a turmoil due to several issues and the Black Lives Matter movement and Climate Change are only a few of the examples. But as the FIA have now prohibited the drivers from displaying their policital stands without prior notification, it will become difficult for the racers to take a stand and use their massive platform for some good cause. But indeed F1 is a worldwide sport and should maintain a neutral image by keeping away from outright political stands. Thus, the FIA’s decision can be viewed as a two-edged sword.
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Riddhi Mondal
(1821 Articles Published)