FIA boss used 'stereotypical' language - Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton has accused FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem of utilizing “stereotypical” connection pinch a “racial element” successful his attempts to extremity nan broadcast of swearing during Formula 1 races.

Ben Sulayem, nan caput of motorsport’s governing body, said F1 had to “differentiate betwixt our sport - motorsport - and rap music”.

Hamilton said: "Saying ‘rappers’ is very stereotypical. If you deliberation astir it, astir rappers are black.

“So erstwhile it says: ‘We are not for illustration them’, those are nan incorrect prime of words. There is simply a group constituent there.”

The FIA has not yet responded to a petition for comment.

Hamilton said he understood Ben Sulayem’s wider point, adding: “You hide that location are kids that are listening. So I work together successful that sense. If you perceive to immoderate of nan younger drivers, they’ve not sewage it yet and astatine immoderate shape they perchance will.”

Ben Sulaymen’s comments came in an question and reply pinch motorsport.com,, external successful which he suggested drivers could beryllium deed pinch penalties for swearing complete squad power successful races.

Swear words are ever bleeped retired during TV broadcasts by F1, which delays nan transmission of squad power conversations truthful they tin beryllium vetted for language.

Ben Sulayem said: “We're not rappers, you know. They opportunity nan f-word really galore times per minute? We are not connected that. That's them and we are [us].”

He said he understood that drivers were “in nan power of nan moment” but added: “We person to beryllium observant pinch our conduct. We request to beryllium responsible people.

“And now pinch nan technology, everything is going unrecorded and everything is going to beryllium recorded. At nan extremity of nan day, we person to study that to see: do we minimise what is being said publicly?

“Because ideate you are sitting pinch your children and watching nan title and past personification is saying each of this soiled language. I mean, what would your children aliases grandchildren say? What would you thatch them if that is your sport?”

Several drivers pushed backmost against Ben Sulaymen’s remarks.

World champion Max Verstappen said that nan remarks could simply not beryllium broadcast, adding: "You will committedness anyway. If it's not successful this room possibly location else. Everyone swears. Some group a spot much than others. It besides depends a spot what connection you speak. Of course, maltreatment is thing else.

“You person to astir apt limit it aliases person a spot of a hold that you tin censor retired a fewer things. That will thief a batch much than putting bans connected drivers because for illustration I couldn't moreover opportunity nan f-word.

“And then, excuse maine for nan connection but travel on, what are we? Five-year-olds, six-year-olds? Even if a five-year-old aliases six-year-old is watching, I mean, they will yet committedness anyhow moreover if their parents won't aliases they will not let it.

“When they turn up they will locomotion astir pinch their friends and they will beryllium swearing. So you cognize this is not changing anything.”

And his title rival Lando Norris of McLaren said: “They tin conscionable not play nan radios, truthful it’s rather elemental from their side, we are nan guys successful nan power of nan infinitesimal nether stress, nether pressure, fighting, having large crashes, it’s conscionable a batch easier for them to opportunity than for america to do.

“We are retired location putting our hearts connected nan statement trying to title people, we’re giving it our all, our bosom rates are truthful high, we are conscionable putting our passion and emotion into it.

“Of people location is going to beryllium immoderate bad words connected nan different broadside of it, but that’s conscionable cos we’re trying and we want to springiness our champion and we consciousness difficult done by erstwhile things don’t spell right, because of excitement and stuff."

It is nan latest successful a bid of controversies successful which Ben Sulayem has recovered himself embroiled since becoming FIA president successful December 2021.

The FIA is being sued by Susie Wolff, nan head of nan F1 Academy for aspiring female drivers, aft it launched a conflict of liking enquiry into her and her hubby Toto, nan Mercedes squad principal, past year.

He was earlier this twelvemonth cleared of interfering pinch title results pursuing allegations by a whistleblower.

In different controversies, he received a cease-and-desist missive from F1’s lawyers pursuing his guidance connected societal media to a communicative claiming Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment money had tried to bargain nan sport.

And he has defended humanities sexist remarks connected his erstwhile website.