Former Red Bull driver feels Lewis Hamilton should lead by example amidst calls for accountability and transparency

Former Red Bull driver David Coulthard feels Lewis Hamilton should lead by example amidst growing calls for accountability and transparency. The 2024 F1 season has been a PR disaster for the sport.

It started with the allegations of sexually inappropriate behaviour against Christian Horner. Since then, there has been a mismanagement in the way Red Bull has handled the situation.

Moreover, there have been questions raised against the FIA president who was being investigated for interfering with a race result in the 2023 F1 Saudi Arabian GP. To top it off, Susie Wolff, the wife of Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, filed a legal case against the governing body.

The case was filed for starting an investigation last year based on an unsubstantiated report from a dubious publication. Amidst all that, Lewis Hamilton has been one of the drivers calling for more transparency and accountability in F1.

Talking about Hamilton's calls for asking for more transparency and accountability on the Formula for Success podcast, David Coulthard reckons the driver should lead by example as well. He said:

“There’s one school of thought that says: ‘There’s no such thing as bad publicity.’ Whenever there’s been big traumas and Formula 1 – loss of life and horrible situations like that – the audience has grown because it takes it off the back pages and puts it on the front pages."

He added:

“We’ve had Lewis Hamilton ask for more accountability and transparency across the board.

"I’m always a bit curious on that, actually, because it’s like people ask for things whilst they’re not having to do it. Lead by example in being transparent and open, rather than just doing so whenever there’s a controversy.”

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Lewis Hamilton on Susie Wolff taking legal action

Lewis Hamilton talked about the incident involving Susie Wolff, who's taking legal action against the FIA, reiterating his support for her. Highlighting how there's a lack of transparency in the F1 world and a lack of accountability, the driver feels that Wolff did the right thing by taking legal action.

Highlighting how the sport needs more accountability considering what's going on, Hamilton said:

“I love that she’s taken it out of this world, fighting it from the outside, because there is a real lack of accountability here within this sport, within the FIA, things that are happening behind closed doors, there is no transparency."

He added:

“There is really no accountability, and we need that. I think the fans need that. How can you trust the sport and what is happening here if you don’t have that?"

The Mercedes driver has not had the best of starts to the season. The driver has not been comfortable in the car and has been outqualified by his teammate in the first three races.