‘Come and speak to us’: Hamilton calls for more driver involvement in F1 rules

Lewis Hamilton believes Formula One drivers should have a “seat at the table” in discussion on directions the sport should take in future, to have an input alongside key stakeholders such as the teams and the FIA. Hamilton’s view was largely echoed across the paddock including by the current defending champion, Lando Norris.

Hamilton was speaking before this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix where the rule changes implemented after driver dissatisfaction with this year’s new regulations are taking effect for the first time.

“All the drivers we do work together, we all meet but the fact is we don’t have a seat at the table,” Hamilton said. “We do engage with the FIA and F1, F1’s more often a little bit more responsive. But being that we’re not stakeholders, we don’t have a seat at the table currently, which I think needs to change.”

The seven-time champion went on to cite the example of when new types of tyres are tested before being brought into the sport.

“I say to them, when I was doing the Pirelli test: ‘You guys should come and speak to us and collaborate with us, we don’t want to be slagging off the Pirelli tyres, we know you can build a good product’,” he added.

“But their feedback will be coming from people who have never driven a car before. Speak to us, we’ll work hand in hand, we can work together to approach the FIA so we can get a better product. The same with F1. We’re here to work with you. We don’t want to be slating our sport. We want the sport to succeed and so we need to be working together.

“But it’s like a [broken] record, you keep doing it and it’s like small baby steps each time. But I have no doubt [we are aligned].”

Since the start of the season there has been widespread criticism of the new regulations from drivers, who have been vocal in their discontent at the role energy management now plays in the sport with an almost 50-50 split between power from the combustion engine and electrical energy.

The deployment and recharging of the latter has come to dominate how drivers approach a lap and has led to considerable unhappiness, not least from Max Verstappen who has said he is considering his future in the sport, such is his disenchantment with the impact of the rules.

“I hope (for) more and more (driver input),” said Verstappen. “I think if we would have had that five, maybe even before, like five, six years ago, we probably wouldn’t have been in the state that we are in now.”