Alexander Albon has called on the FIA to provide clarity on its intention to outlaw political statements across various motorsport categories.
Late last year, an updated version of the FIA’s International Sporting Code detailed that unapproved political, religious and personal statements by drivers would be prohibited.
In recent years some drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, have used their F1 platform to raise awareness over matters such as racism and climate change.
Speaking at the launch of Williams’ 2023 F1 livery, Albon admits that there is concern between the drivers over the FIA’s clampdown.
“I’ll be honest with you, I haven’t spoken too much to the grid about the situation,” he said.
“We’re all concerned. I know that between F1 and FIA, it’s trying to get everything together within the same form of communication.
“At the minute, there’s a little bit of confusion.”
Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff previously said that he expects the ban will not be as harsh as it seems, and anticipates the matter will cool once face-to-face meetings are held.
Albon says that drivers have not yet been informed of what will and won’t be allowed, and hopes that clarity will make the situation clearer.
“That’s actually one of the main things I took from it, the clarity of the situation,” he said. “It seems quite a broad subject, and as we know, politics and stances, it’s a very sensitive area.
“We need clarity from the FIA on what they’re trying to tell us. From a personal side, it is somewhat confusing actually.
“We were very much for ‘WeRaceAsOne’ and all these kind of situations. Now it seems like the FIA are trying to go away from that.
“We need to see, it’s clear that we need to be open in dialogue about what they’re trying to do. But of course, we need to be able to speak freely to some extent.
“I’m sure we’re going to get clarity later over what they’re really trying to say by a statement or release.”
Albon added that as a driver, he feels a duty to speak out over certain matters to educate people who tune into F1.
“The engagement that we have to our fans and to people who watch F1, a lot of people come to us and look at us as spokespeople for issues around the world.
“I do feel like it’s a responsibility for drivers to make people aware of these situations. It is a beast, it is hard as drivers to see what they’re trying to say, but lets see.”
Keyword: Albon calls for clarity amid ‘concern’ over FIA political statement ban