Lewis Hamilton has expressed disquiet at comments made by the president of Formula One’s governing body, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, that F1 drivers should not swear like rap artists, stating that he was unhappy at the “racial element” implied by Ben Sulayem’s choice of words.
Speaking in the buildup to this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, Ben Sulayem, the president of the FIA, had said he was concerned about drivers swearing on team radio, even though messages are broadcast on a delay so expletives are bleeped out. “We have to differentiate between our sport – motorsport – and rap music,” he said. “We’re not rappers, you know. They say the f-word how many times per minute? We are not on that. That’s them and we are [us].”
Hamilton, who has had more than one run-in with Ben Sulayem since he became president in December 2021, felt his words represented a racial bias. “With what he said, I don’t like how he has expressed it. Saying ‘rappers’ is very stereotypical,” Hamilton said. “If you think about it, most rappers are black, so it says: ‘We are not like them.’ Those are the wrong choice of words and there is a racial element there.”
Ben Sulayem has been contacted for comment regarding Hamilton’s remarks. His presidency has been marked by a series of controversies. He attracted criticism for past sexist remarks on his personal website in which he was quoted as saying he did “not like women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth” which the FIA said did not reflect his personal beliefs.
He has faced censure from F1’s owners after questioning the valuation of the sport in 2023, leading Formula One Management to send a legal letter warning the comments risked exposure to “serious regulatory consequences”.
More recently, after the FIA had launched an investigation into Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, and his wife, Susie Wolff, managing director of F1 Academy, over an allegation of passing confidential information, neither party was found to have a case to answer. However, there was no explanation from the FIA of the rationale behind its investigation, its findings or how it reached its conclusions. Hamilton stated he had never backed the FIA president, citing a lack of accountability and transparency within the organisation.
Hamilton was not alone in deriding the president’s latest comments, with both Lando Norris and Max Verstappen giving Ben Sulayem short shrift.
At a press conference in Singapore Verstappen, the world champion, described his car as being “fucked” at the last round in Baku and was asked to mind his language by the moderator, a response that only prompted him to be dismissive of efforts to tone down the emotions of drivers.
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“I couldn’t even say the f-word, I mean it’s not even that bad right? I mean the car was not working, the car is effed and then, [it’s] excuse me for the language,” he said. “Come on, what are we? Five-year-olds? Six-year-olds? Even if a five-year-old or six-year-old is watching, they will eventually swear anyway even if their parents won’t or they will not allow it.”
His position was echoed by his title rival Norris, who noted fans would lose the “rawness of drivers and their thoughts and their feelings” by curtailing team radio or sanctions.
“When I listen to it, I find it cool and I find it exciting,” he said. “It’s not just nice, gentle, soft language that people are using. So, I’m sure there’s plenty of other sports and things you can go watch if that’s what you want to hear.”