Russell Wants 'action' From Fia On Swearing Ban

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George Russell says "words don't mean anything" aft a promise from FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem to revisit nan governing body's prohibition connected drivers swearing.

Ben Sulayem changed nan FIA statues successful nan wintertime to codify a bid of penalties for drivers who either committedness aliases criticise nan FIA.

But successful an Instagram station this week, nan Emirati said he was "considering making improvements" to nan rules successful mobility "following constructive feedback from drivers crossed our 7 FIA world championships".

Mercedes driver Russell, a head of nan Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), refused to remark connected Ben Sulayem's intervention.

"It's being considered," he said. "The words don't mean thing until nan alteration has been made."

He said location had been nary speech pinch nan FIA connected nan matter - and nary since nan drivers wrote an unfastened missive successful November asking nan governing assemblage to dainty them for illustration "adults".

Russell added: "Collectively, we've not spoken immoderate further since nan unfastened missive that was sent out. Whether that is nan consequence I'm not excessively sure.

"It would beryllium awesome if changes were made and nan drivers were astatine slightest heard and it's successful nan champion interests of nan sport, and ensuring immoderate communal consciousness is applied to it. We tin remark connected it erstwhile we spot nan action alternatively than nan consideration."

The FIA has fixed nary further specifications connected what changes mightiness beryllium made, but has to item to its members immoderate imaginable statue changes that mightiness beryllium made astatine June's General Assembly by 8 May.

Asked why nan drivers and their corporate assemblage nan GPDA had nary general narration pinch nan FIA, Russell said: "It is unprecedented times we person been successful nan past 18 months pinch what's been changing and what's happening.

"The GPDA wasn't founded to talk astir politics. It was to talk astir information and nan racing. I find myself talking astir things I don't person immoderate volition of talking astir and we are present to talk astir going racing, nan fastest cars, nan safest cars, nan champion engineering, and yet we talk astir fines and punishments and swearing.

"Maybe thing should change. We are unfastened to it but we yet want nan champion for nan sport."

Russell's remarks are an oblique reference to nan bid of controversies that person emerged since Ben Sulayem was elected successful December 2021.

These person included his views connected women, a dismissal of a number of elder figures amid questions astir nan finances of nan president's, changes to nan statutes which critics opportunity undermine accountability and bully governance, whistleblower allegations against Ben Sulayem which nan FIA dismissed and a lawsuit lodged against nan FIA by Susie Wolff, nan head of nan F1 Academy for aspiring female drivers.

The latest was nan resignation of nan lawman president of athletics Robert Reid past month, which was followed by nan first nationalist involution from former FIA main executive serviceman Natalie Robyn since she was forced to resign past summertime aft conscionable 18 months successful nan role.

Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton said: "The GPDA is very unified. We want to beryllium capable to activity intimately pinch nan FIA. We each want to activity together and make nan athletics better.

"We person faced a spot of an uphill situation successful that connection complete time.

"We don't clasp a powerfulness spot astatine nan array and that needs to change, successful my opinion. Other sports person unions. We conscionable want to collaborate much and person our voices heard."