Lando Norris has likened the FIA’s threat of clamping down on Formula One drivers making political protests or carrying political slogans to being treated like school kids.
The FIA updated the International Sporting Code last December with a clause requiring prior written permission for drivers to make or display “political, religious and personal statements or comments.”
F1 boss Stefano Domenicali has said the sport will not allow its drivers to be gagged.
Albon: Drivers all concerned over FIA clampdown
It remains unclear exactly what the rule will look like coming into the new season, with the FIA able to hand out financial and sporting penalties on F1’s drivers.
“We’re not in a school,” Norris said, when asked about the clampdown at the launch of McLaren’s 2023 F1 car. “We shouldn’t have to ask about everything and say ‘can we do this, can we do that?’ I think we’re grown up enough to try and make smart decisions.
“Maybe sometimes people make silly decisions, but that happens in life. I think there are enough drivers to have said things now to push back a little bit [on the FIA clampdown].”
He added: “I think it’s still very important that it’s clear as drivers we can still voice our opinions. I don’t think F1 should go in a direction with rules or the direction of limiting what we can do or say and influence us drivers because we are only wanting to do things for the best. We don’t want to use it in any wrongdoing way.
“We are doing it because we have a lot of fans, millions of fans, millions of viewers, who we want to influence, guide and use to help, or to help them personally. We should have freedom of speech.”
Norris hopes the backlash from drivers, fans and from Domenicali will be enough for the FIA to backtrack on the rule.
When asked if he would ignore the possible sanctions and protest, Norris laughed and said; “I don’t know what the penalty is! If it’s a fine or something, I’m probably happy to break it, if it’s a bit more, then not. It depends.
“At certain times there’s things we’re going to want to say, which maybe they don’t allow, but I think it would only be a positive thing for whatever that circumstance is. I don’t know 100 percent what the ruling is and how everything is going to happen, but I feel like there’s been quite a lot of pressure and enough said to maybe make a little bit of a U-turn.
“F1 have made things clear with what they think is acceptable and what they think we should be able to do as drivers, and I guess that’s what I stand by. I think we should be able to say what we want and what we believe in.”