Hamilton hails FIA collaboration with drivers after shaky start
Hamilton hails FIA collaboration with drivers after shaky start
Lewis Hamilton has hailed the push from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to create a collaboration between F1's governing body and the sport's drivers.
Ben Sulayem took over the presidency from Jean Todt in December last year, with the sport in turmoil following the controversial Abu Dhabi season finale.
A swift restructure of race control took place following an internal investigation and the publication of a report, whilst further changes at the FIA have also been made, with the latest being the appointment of the first CEO in the organisation's history.
When the F1 season got underway this year, relations between drivers and the FIA seemed to strain across the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix weekend in the face of a nearby terrorist attack.
A clampdown on jewellery followed in Australia in a move seemingly aimed directly at Hamilton as fellow competitors jumped to the Mercedes driver's defence.
As the campaign has settled, Ben Sulayem has pushed for talks between the FIA and the drivers, with the agenda taken from these discussions into the first F1 Sporting Summit for almost a decade involving team managers.
Assessing the job Ben Sulayem is doing, Hamilton said: "It's not an easy role for anyone.
"It takes time to get into a role, build all the relationships and implement change.
"But I think the most important thing for right now is the drivers.
"We're trying to build that connection, all of us, the GPDA, we're all united, and we want to help make the racing better.
"We want to help the FIA, and Mohammed has been really open with that. So we're just going to continue to work on that communication."
On his personal relationship with Ben Sulayem, Hamilton continued: "I'm in touch with him quite a lot. We actually speak quite a bit.
"He's very, very driven, he's competitive. He used to race himself, so he has sort of a competitor's mindset.
"He's also very keen on diversity and really pushing for future change. So he wants to collaborate with us all on that and I'm quite happy with it."
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Hamilton hit with SURPRISE Ferrari claim as new Cullen relationship blossoms - GPFans F1 Recap
- Yesterday 23:57
Current F1 star qualifies for world championship race on two wheels
- Yesterday 22:57
Ricciardo given HUGE boost after upgrade claim
- Yesterday 21:57
‘Absolute b******s’ - Newey’s wife SLAMS Red Bull F1 claims
- Yesterday 20:57
Norris INJURED at party with legendary DJ
- Yesterday 19:57
Newey tipped to POACH key Red Bull staff if he joins F1 rivals
- Yesterday 18:57
Related news
Mercedes reveal shock RED livery to celebrate historic milestone
Verstappen 'to meet Mercedes over SHOCK 2025 move as Red Bull exit clause revealed'
BLOW for former F1 champion as Mercedes preferences revealed
Mercedes star tipped to replace struggling driver THIS season
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860