
How the F1 driver expression saga continues to have a Lineker-like problem
OPINION: The high-profile recent Gary Lineker saga at the BBC was ignited in part because impartiality rules were ill-defined. In Formula 1, there remains the potential for a similar storm over driver expression concerning another high-profile issue of the day, which we highlight here.
“It might sound like a broken record. But that's what I'm to keep on doing. It's a fight that I'm going to keep on having.”
Lewis Hamilton there, speaking at Formula 1’s 2023 season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver was discussing the new clampdown on where exactly the championship’s stars – and those across motorsport’s other divisions – can express their personal feelings on much more important non-racing matters.
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Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.
A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.
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