Bottas critical of FIA: 'They want to control us'

Valtteri Bottas beleives F1 drivers should be allowed to make statements on political circumstances and current events on a race weekend and has said he doesn't understand why the FIA try to control drivers.

Bottas is not interested in politics, he stated in conversation with Swedish newspaper Expressen which was present at the ROC. According to the Alfa Romeo driver, colleagues who want to express their opinion on politics should be allowed to do so. Drivers also regularly speak out in favour of improving human rights in the Middle East.

Bottas does not like politics but expresses right to talk

The FIA no longer wants drivers to use Formula 1 to make political or religious statements, unless given written permission by the federation. "I don't like politics," Bottas said. "I love racing. At the same time, politics is part of today's society. I think Formula 1 does well to draw attention to some problems (in the world). Many drivers raise their voices, like Sebastian (Vettel). "I don't understand why they want to control us. I think we should have the right to talk about what we want. That's how I see it, but we are going to see what happens."

The ban on political and religious statements was imposed by the FIA during the winter break. The question is whether drivers will comply with it. Previously, the FIA banned political statements from being displayed on the cars. For instance, in 2018, Santino Ferrucci, who was driving Formula 2 at the time, was told to remove the slogan 'Make America Great Again' on his car.