Lewis Hamilton has emphasized his enduring passion for Formula 1, notwithstanding his apprehensions regarding various off-track controversies.
The spotlight in F1 circles has been squarely on allegations directed at Red Bull team principal Christian Horner by a member of the team since the onset of the year.
While Horner was exonerated following an inquiry by an external legal representative, the situation took a more contentious turn with the emergence of purported screenshots depicting conversations between Horner and his accuser.
Jos Verstappen, father of Red Bull’s standout driver Max Verstappen, weighed in, intimating that the team could face internal strife if Horner remained in his role.
Against the backdrop of the Red Bull turmoil, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem found himself under scrutiny for allegedly seeking to influence the outcome of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and advocating against the certification of the Las Vegas Strip Circuit.
In light of these developments, Hamilton has underscored the imperative for transparency within the sport moving forward.
“The sport has grown in so many ways,” Hamilton said to the media.
“We’ve seen and accepted in so many places, far more than we ever have been, which I think has been a real positive.
“It’s really important to stay to the core values. That’s about integrity, that’s going through processes with transparency and trust.
“Our fans need to trust us. They need to be able to trust the sport.”
Hamilton emphasized that the off-track controversies garnering significant attention are “not the part of the sport that I love.”
When asked to elaborate on the aspects of the sport that he still holds dear, Hamilton remarked: “The thing I love about the sport is the team element.
“It’s the competition, it’s everyone working to be the best they can be.
“It’s everyone within a team rowing in the same direction, and chasing something that’s almost unattainable, which is perfection, innovation, and winning the world championship. It’s such an incredible thing.
“Then close battles. That’s what you want to see more of within our sport.
“We’ve had the Schumacher dominance, you had my era of dominance, it happens all the time. And I think we can’t take anything away from Red Bull. They’ve done such an amazing job.
“I mean, all of what they’ve done as a team, I think it’s really great. They really raised the bar so high, so we’re all striving to get to that.
“It would be great if we were all having a closer battle, but I think that’s what’s being worked on.”
