Lewis Hamilton has commented on the growth of Formula 1, adding that he supports Stefano Domenicali as he extends his contract as CEO of Formula One Management to the end of 2029 while potentially making a subtle jab at the FIA.
The former Ferrari chief has overseen huge growth in the sport since he came on board as CEO in 2021. The sport has built itself into a financially stable and entertaining racing series – one that is seeing even more growth as it accepts an 11th team onto the grid in 2026 in Cadillac.
“I am honoured to continue to lead this incredible sport, which I love and has been part of my life since my childhood and grateful to the Liberty Media team for their trust,” Domenicali said in a statement.
“Together, with all the relevant F1 stakeholders, we will continue to serve the best interest of our fans, as they are the heartbeat of everything we do.
“The passion, the energy and the adrenaline are the fuel that powers me every day to give my absolute best to Formula 1.”
Known not to mince his words when it comes to the management of F1 and its governing body, Hamilton confirmed his support for Domenicali in a pointed comment to the media, including Motorsport.com.
“ Something that’s been blowing my mind just recently is the fact that out of 8 billion people, there’s only 20 drivers in Formula 1, and we’re one of those drivers. It’s such a privilege to be here and have this opportunity to do what we do year on year. It’s absolutely phenomenal, and it’s great to see it grow.
“It’s great to see the audience grow, to see the sport moving in the right direction, having Stefano – just re-signed – thank God he’s staying. It’s good to have a neutral, good leader at the forefront of the helm. And, yeah. I’ll stop there.”
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Photo by: Ferrari
It’s no secret that the seven-time world champion isn’t a fan of FIA President Mohamed Ben Sulayem – a figure this comment about Stefano was potentially being aimed at.
In September of last year, the FIA chief said that F1 drivers sound like “rappers” when using swearing over team radio.
“We’re not rappers, you know. They say the F-word how many times per minute? We are not on that. That’s them and we are [us].”
The Ferrari driver was quick to fight against this comment, with him arguing:
“With what he said, I don’t like how he expressed it.
“Saying rappers is very stereotypical as most rappers are black. It really kind of points towards ‘we are not like them’, so I think those were the wrong choice of words and there’s a racial element there. I agree things need clearing up a bit but it is also good to have some emotion as we are not robots.”
Or maybe the comment was aimed at Bernie Ecclestone, the motorsport tycoon who has seen himself through several controversies. Just last month, Ecclestone told The Telegraph that Hamilton has less talent than his fans give him credit for.
“Lewis gets himself up front in a way where you can dislike him,” he said. “How a guy who has won a few world titles and has a few dollars in the bank can dress the way he dresses… I’m not a fan of that.”
He continued:
“He has a lot of talent as a driver. As much as people credit him with? No, but still enough to win races. I don’t know why he does all this other nonsense. He needs to get out of the music business and whatever else.”
Leave feedback about this