Lewis Hamilton fears F1 is moving in the ‘wrong direction’ by suppressing drivers' freedom of speech

Lewis Hamilton feels that F1 is moving in the 'wrong direction' with the FIA's new rule that bans drivers and teams from making personal political statements on race weekends. Though the governing body recently clarified that drivers can speak out about anything in their own time during race weekends, it is still not enough for the seven-time world champion.

Lewis Hamilton is convinced that the new rule will take the sport in the wrong direction since he believes that having conversations about certain global issues is extremely important. Furthermore, he mentioned how the new rule goes directly against what he is trying to achieve, i.e., creating an inclusive environment around the sport. He said (via RaceFans.net):

"[FIA's decision] 100% tells me we are in the wrong direction. It’s counter to what I’ve been trying to do with the team, for example, what I’ve been trying to do in conversations with stakeholders within our sport. But I expect pushback. There are still individuals that don’t either understand or believe the importance of having an inclusive environment."

Later on, Lewis Hamilton spoke about his charitable foundation, Mission 44, which aims to transform the lives of young people facing disadvantage and discrimination. He swore that he would continue to fight and speak against global issues and try to bring more diversity to F1. The British driver stated (via RaceFans.net):

"And I think my job and our job is to continue to highlight the positives of what that can have and the importance of it. That’s the fight I’ll keep on having. I’m really happy that I’ve got Mission 44 working flat-out, I’ve got Ignite and I’m working with the team, we’ve got this diversity charter that we’re now working on with all the teams involved."

---

Lewis Hamilton has prepared himself for a championship battle

Ahead of the 2023 F1 Bahrain GP, Lewis Hamilton spoke to the media about how he has prepared himself for the championship battle, but is unsure whether Mercedes has a championship-winning car or not. Though the W14 did not look particularly fast during pre-season testing, its true potential will soon be revealed in the first race of the season. Hamilton said:

"We'll find out in the next couple of days - what's realistic. But I mean, that's what I have prepared for. I have prepared myself for a championship battle, whether or not we have the equipment to fight for the championship, we'll find out. I do believe I have got the team still that are championship worthy. It's just for us to keep our heads down."

Even though Mercedes could unleash their full potential in the Bahrain GP and perform better than in pre-season testing, it is safe to say that they won't be able to catch Red Bull and especially Max Verstappen. However, this could change as the season progresses.