Formula One is indeed experiencing testing times off track at present. Much of the news column inches written this year about the sport have been little to do with the racing and everything to do with one potential scandal after another.

Despite being soundly beaten by his team mate thus far, Lewis Hamilton has been using his platform as a seven times F1 world champion to call out alleged clandestine practices along with repeated calls for transparency in Formula One.

 

 

 

F1 recent troubles – all publicity

Hamilton has been out qualified by George Russell in the last five Grand Prix weekends and during that time has finished a race ahead of his younger countryman only once. Yet at the Australian GP Lewis launched a scathing attack on the FIA over how they are handling the latest off track drama.

Former McLaren and Red Bull driver David Coulthard has now called out Lewis Hamilton for potential ‘grandstanding’ suggesting the British driver is inconsistent in his messaging, choosing only times of controversy for his rivals to speak out calling for transparency.

Discussing the recent series of off track scandals on the Formula for Success podcast, Coulthard reflects: “There’s one school of thought that says: ‘There’s no such thing as bad publicity.’

“Whenever there’s been big traumas and Formula 1 – loss of life and horrible situations like that – the audience has grown because it takes it off the back pages and puts it on the front pages.”

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Hamilton accused of ‘opportunism’

The Scottish F1 driver then turns to Lewis Hamilton’s contributions, “we’ve had Lewis Hamilton ask for more accountability and transparency across the board.

“I’m always a bit curious on that, actually, because it’s like people ask for things whilst they’re not having to do it. Lead by example in being transparent and open, rather than just doing so whenever there’s a controversy.”

Hamilton is the master of taking negative publicity about his rivals or the F1 authorities and turning it into a conversation about his Mission 44 programme of diversity and inclusion. Yet Coulthard questions whether such messaging when purely based on perceived negative events is mere ‘opportunism’ or even ‘hypocritical.’

Following the 2023 Italian Grand Prix, Lewis chose to get embroiled in the latest F1 scandal which included Dr. Helmut Marko. The Red Bull advisor was in fact complimenting Checo for his efforts in Monza where he had overcome a qualifying deficit to beat both Ferrari’s on home soil to finish second behind his team mate.

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Lewis demands Marko’s removal

“The Italian GP was surely one of Checo Perez’s best weekends and we know about his problems in qualifying, which is where he has his doubts,” Marko told ServusTV.

“Let’s remember that he is South American and so his head is not as focused as Max Verstappen or as Sebastian Vettel was, but racing is his forte and he had a very good race,” Marko concluded as the explanation for Sergio’s lack of one lap pace.

Of course Perez is Mexican which amusingly is in fact in North America, but Lewis Hamilton was amongst the first to call for Dr. Marko to be sanctioned for alleged racist comments.

“It’s completely unacceptable what he said,” judged Hamilton speaking to Sky F1. “Whilst we say there’s no room for any type of discrimination within this sport … to have leaders and people in his position making comments like this is not good for us moving forwards.”

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When told Dr. Marko had apologised for his comments, Hamilton was dismissive stating that was not enough and “I think there needs to be more done.”

Lewis went on to accuse the Red Bull team of collusion for failing to “remove” Marko or “at least they [should] put out a quote and say they don’t support that sort of thing. So it is interesting that they [Red Bull] haven’t done so for this one, but it’s not my team and it’s not how we move as a team.”

Christian Horner scorned Hamilton’s ‘grandstanding’ pointing out that Helmut Marko was not employed by the F1 team, but by the Austrian based parent company – and as such – he as team principal would have nothing to say on the matter.

Prior to F1 arriving in Melbourne last week, Susie Wolff confirmed “I personally filed a criminal complaint in the French courts on 4 March in relation to the statements made about me by the FIA last December.

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Hamilton slams FIA

“There has still not been any transparency or accountability in relation to 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 behaviour and make sure people are held to account.”

Hamilton was quick to offer his thoughts on the matter telling assembled media, ”I love that she’s taken it out of this [F1] world, fighting it from the 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.”

Lewis also questioned the integrity of Formula One asking, “How can you trust the sport and what is happening here if you don’t have that [transparency]?”

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Wild and untrue accusations

Hamilton then turned to the Red Bull drama where a female employee who made allegations of impropriety against Christian Horner has been suspended on full pay while the team looks into the identity of the person responsible for leaking private and confidential documents from her complaint to senior F1 paddock individuals.

“It is still a male-dominated sport, and we’re living in a time where the message is, ‘If you file a complaint, you will be fired’, and that is a terrible narrative to be projecting to the world,” Hamilton concluded.

The reality in fact is the female employee is appealing the Red Bull decision to dismiss her allegations and has not been “fired”, just removed from a sensitive environment until a final judgement can be made.

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F1 female engineer happy with her environment

Bernie Collins, ex-McLaren and Aston Martin strategist was asked whether she felt her life in F1 had been a battle because she was a woman. The Irish woman replied she had never faced discrimination or prejudice and felt at times as a woman she could get stuff done that a man could not.

Of course there’s no comment from Hamilton on this female’s experience of a life in F1, and it would cost Lewis little to praise both McLaren and Aston Martin for their progressive cultures. This would highlight from a positive perspective how Formula One is dealing with diversity, but maybe it wouldn’t get Hamilton the headlines he often appears to crave.

Coulthard does hit the nail on the head when it comes to Hamilton’s interventions over off track controversies. Lewis regularly uses the negative publicity others are suffering to promote his world view – and of course he alone is the judge and jury over what is right and wrong.

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Max fuels RBR exit rumours in Dutch media

For now the dust has settled from the furore surrounding the Red Bull Racing team which at the turn of the year became engulfed in a saga that threatened to break up the winning elements of the reigning Formula One world champions. In Melbourne, Max Verstappen sought to calm the rumours of him considering pastures new with the vague commitment that for now it was “intention” to see through his current driver contract until 2028.

Yet there was an element of ambiguity in Verstappen’s attempted assertion, which merely served to increase the speculation on who would be found to replace the current world champion at RBR…. READ MORE