Lewis Hamilton has revealed he was unhappy with the words used by FIA president Mohamed Ben Sulaiman when telling drivers to stop swearing so much, and believes there was a racial element to his comments.
Ben Sulayev told Autosport that he had asked Formula One management (FOM) to think about what they say on the air, but said drivers should also be more restrained during races, adding: “We have to differentiate between our sport, motorsport, and rap music. We are not rappers… How many times a minute do they say the f-word? We are not part of that. They are who they are and we are not part of that. [us].”
Hamilton, one of the most senior drivers on the grid, understood the request but criticised the language Ben Soulaem used in his interview.
“I think there are two segments there,” Hamilton said. “I just heard about it today. On the one hand, when I was 22, I didn’t think much about it, and I just let my emotions flow and say whatever comes to mind, and I forgot how many people were listening and who the kids were listening to, and all that kind of stuff.
“I agree with what I hear from young drivers, they don’t have it yet. And at some stage they probably will. I’m sure if there were a penalty for it, people would stop doing it. I don’t know if it’s necessary. I think it’s a bit excessive.
“And just what he says, I don’t like the way he phrases it. [about] Rappers are very stereotypical. Most people think of rappers as black. When he says, ‘We’re not like them,’ that’s actually what he’s referring to… So I think that’s a bad choice of words. There’s a racial element to it.
“But like I said, I agree that I think it needs a little bit of cleaning up. [would be good]. Also, it’s good to have feelings. We’re not robots. And for me, the way I control it is because I have 2,000 people working to get me where I am and where I am.
“Of course I have a lot of followers of all ages, but it’s not about me. And even though I’m on track to this experience, what I do and what I say impacts all the people who sacrifice time with their families and give absolutely everything to have this privileged position and opportunity. So I think understanding that and channeling the aggression elsewhere is what I’m trying to do.”
Many other drivers criticized Ben Sulayem’s request, suggesting that radio messages containing profanity should not be broadcast.
