FIA follows Fifa's lead on protest ban: 'It's the opposite of progress'

After previously allowing drivers to make personal protests on matters such as race and LGBTQ+ rights, the FIA has followed FIFA in banning such statements – this is a grave error, says Chris Medland

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Sebastian Vettel in rainbow t shirt supporting LGBT rights at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix

Vettel stood in solidarity with the LGBT community at last year's Hungarian GP

Grand Prix Photo

“The ISC has been updated in alignment with the political neutrality of sport as a universal fundamental ethical principle of the Olympic Movement, enshrined in the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Code of Ethics, together with the principle of the universality set out in Article 1.2.

“Additionally as stated in Article 1.2 of the FIA Statutes, the FIA shall promote the protection of human rights and human dignity, and refrain from manifesting discrimination on account of race, skin colour, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic or social origin, language, religion, philosophical or political opinion, family situation or disability in the course of its activities and from taking any action in this respect.

“The FIA will focus on underrepresented groups in order to achieve a more balanced representation of gender and race and to create a more diverse and inclusive culture.”

That’s the defence. That’s the reason given by an FIA Spokesperson explaining why the International Sporting Code (ISC) now contains a clause that formally bans drivers or teams from: “The general making and display of political, religious and personal statements or comments notably in violation of the general principle of neutrality promoted by the FIA under its Statutes, unless previously approved in writing by the FIA for International Competitions, or by the relevant ASN for National Competitions within their jurisdiction.”

NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 09: Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain and Mercedes GP takes a knee on the grid in support of the Black Lives Matter movement prior to the F1 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone on August 09, 2020 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton has been particularly vocal in protests on various issues

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

According to the FIA, dialogue and agreements with competitors about public statements are not uncommon, but now there’s vague wording that allows all manner of topics to fall under a potential ISC breach that could lead to sporting penalties that can reach the severity of disqualification, suspension or exclusion.

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The timing could well be coincidental, but there’s a part of me pointing the finger at FIFA for this.

As the World Cup prepared to kick off in Qatar, there was a bizarre rant from Gianni Infantino in a pre-tournament press conference that represented a major u-turn on FIFA’s approach. Having stated the first World Cup in the Middle East would be a force for good, opening up conversations – particularly around the rights of the LGBTQ+ community and migrant workers – Infantino then lashed out at those having those conversations.

Backing up the change of approach, sporting penalties (in the form of a yellow card) were threatened against team captains wanting to wear a ‘One Love’ rainbow armband.

In fact, it went further, with the media director of the German Football Association saying it was “extreme blackmail” as the teams intending to wear the armband were “threatened with massive sporting sanctions without specifying what these would be”.

Sebastian-Vettel-in-climate-change-t-shirt-warning-the-Miami-GP-will-be-under-water-by-2060

“Act now or swim later”: Vettel’s Miami GP t-shirt warned the city will be under water by 2060 unless action is taken on emissions

Alamy

It was a strong talking point in the opening few days of the tournament, and then as is so often the case – and in Formula 1 we’re certainly guilty of this too – when the sporting element became more significant that’s where interest took hold and comments by the end were of whether it was the greatest final ever.

Sure, you can enjoy and acknowledge brilliant matches or brilliant races in countries where you might question other actions separate to the sport, but by taking the money to go there in the first place both the hosts and the organisers should be accepting that those topics can be spoken about.

FIFA’s stance has opened the door for other governing bodies to feel empowered to do similar. It’s the wrong sort of empowering, in my opinion.

And that’s where it feels the FIA is right now.

When Infantino was delivering his speech in late November, I remember thinking how it painted the FIA in such a good light. Credit where it’s due, while there must have been some extremely difficult and sensitive discussions held behind the scenes between the FIA, Formula 1 itself and race promoters, we had seen drivers able to wear helmets or t-shirts supporting the LGBTQ+ community in countries where they are facing oppression, without those drivers being penalised from a sporting point of view.

But off the back of FIFA’s approach, that good light has been turned off. Under the thin cover of aligning itself with the IOC, it has moved to close down avenues for such comment.

Even if it was commonplace for discussions to be held between the FIA and drivers or teams about statements or gestures, those discussions were not against the backdrop of a threat of sporting sanction. By writing it into the ISC, now the FIA has given itself a far stronger hand to try and silence or punish competitors with.

And the wording leaves so much in play. For example, what if a driver is asked by a journalist for their views on a human rights record at any race? Are they not allowed to respond unless they’ve had the answer pre-approved?

Lewis Hamilton at the 2020 Tuscany GP

Drivers were banned from wearing T-shirts on the podium after Hamilton’s Breonna Taylor protest at 2020 Tuscany GP

Getty Images

Major sports going to host venues that are members of the United Nations and yet don’t adhere to some of the most basic Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has happened plenty of times before and will happen plenty of times in the future. There’s not a country in the world that everyone on the planet deems perfect, and in fairness to the FIA, it doesn’t choose where F1 races.

But when those sports insist their presence can be a force for good, helping stimulate conversations and influence change for the better, they need to back it up.

Instead, trying to silence some of those conversations completely – regardless of whether they’re about the LGBTQ+ community in the Middle East, abortion laws in the United States or racial inequality in Great Britain – is not progress. It’s the complete opposite.

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