Lewis Hamilton’s outspokenness ahead of the Australian Grand Prix was unmistakable as he directly criticized the sport’s governing body.
Hamilton expressed his discontent with the FIA, citing a perceived lack of “transparency” and “accountability.” This rebuke came in response to a lawsuit filed by F1 Academy director Susie Wolff against the sport’s governing body.
The controversy stemmed from an FIA investigation launched in December, focusing on a potential conflict of interests involving Wolff and her husband, Toto. However, support for Wolff from others in the paddock led to the FIA retracting their investigation.
Despite this, Susie has taken the matter further by filing a criminal complaint against the organization in the French courts.
In a statement released before the Australian Grand Prix, she conveyed her message: “There has still not been any transparency or accountability with the conduct of the FIA and its personnel in this matter.
“I feel more than ever it is important to stand up, call out improper behavior, and make sure people are held to account. Whilst some may think silence absolves them from responsibility – it does not.”
Hamilton voiced his support for this action, speaking out before the race in Melbourne. “Firstly, I’m incredibly proud of Susie,” he remarked. “She’s so brave. She stands for such great values. She’s such a leader.”
“In a world where often people are silenced, for her to be standing up sends such a great message. I love that she’s taking it out of this world, filling it from outside, because there is a real lack of accountability here within this sport, within the FIA.
“Things that are happening behind closed doors, there is no transparency, there is clearly no accountability. How can you trust the sport and what is happening here if you don’t have that?
“Hopefully, this stand that she’s taken now will create change, have a positive impact, and especially for women. We’re living in a time where the message is ‘If you file a complaint, you’ll be fired.’
“That is a terrible narrative to be projecting to the world. So, especially when we’re talking about inclusivity here in the sport, we need to make sure that we’re staying true to the core values here.”
In another development, the FIA ethics committee reached a unanimous decision to absolve President Mohammed Ben Sulayem of any misconduct.
This decision came in response to a whistleblower’s allegation that Sulayem had sought to overturn a penalty during the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and advocated for the exclusion of the Las Vegas circuit from classification before last year’s race.
