The 79-year-old Austrian consultant was critical of the federation’s controversial stance
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Among the many controversial decisions, at the level of sports policy and beyond, which have seen the FIA during the last few months, certainly one of the most discussed has been that of the so-called ‘gag’ imposed on pilots and insiders in public statements to the media. In fact, the protagonists of the Circus will be prevented, on the occasion of the competition events, from express personal thoughts on religious and political topics. A decision that the federation said it had taken to comply with IOC guidelines but which sparked criticism from politicians, human rights associations and a substantial part of the F1 world itself. Furthermore, many have considered this decision as done ad personam against Lewis Hamilton, who of all the drivers had often been the most active in contesting – for example – the decision of the Circus to go and compete in countries where respect for human rights is not guaranteed.
In defense of Hamilton and against the ‘censorship’ orchestrated by the FIA the historic consultant of the Red Bull house also expressed himself, Helmut Marko. Intervened in the German way rtl extension in fact, the Graz manager defined “clearly wrong” the position taken by Ben Sulayem and by the entire control body of world motoring. “This decision is clearly wrong. [I piloti] they are responsible citizens who are in the global public eye and who know how and what they have to say. In general we are in a democratic society and everyone can express their opinion“, he concluded. According to the 79-year-old from Graz, not only Hamilton’s utterances but also those of four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel – now retired from F1 – have prompted the FIA to act in such a repressive manner against the freedom of expression of the drivers.
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