McLaren racing CEO Zak Brown recently stated that FIA regulations would be a good balancing factor since recent political statements in F1 have got “out of control.” He added, “let’s not have Formula One become a political hotbed for various topics.”
He said, “You’re free to do whatever you want to do Monday through Friday, so to speak, but obviously, it’s at a grand Prix weekend the drivers have the most cameras on them.” While addressing protests like taking a knee in F1, he said, “ I think those things can start to deviate away from the sport, and that’s where we need to find the right balance.”
These statements have sparked outrage in social media, with some fans saying, “human rights aren’t politics. I don’t get why this is so difficult.” Another motorsport enthusiast said, “yeah, don’t endanger the millions from doubtful regimes, please drivers.”
Another F1 fan commented, “reminder that McLaren is majority owned by the Bahrain Sovereign wealth fund. What else was he going to say?” A lot of Formula 1 fans are itchy about Aramco collab with teams, so this is no surprise.