{"id":61035,"date":"2025-08-12T06:49:18","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T06:49:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/61035\/"},"modified":"2025-08-12T06:49:18","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T06:49:18","slug":"lewis-hamilton-urges-f1-to-evolve-from-drivers-being-bound-by-contracts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/61035\/","title":{"rendered":"Lewis Hamilton urges F1 to evolve from drivers being \u2018bound\u2019 by contracts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lewis Hamilton<\/a> has called on Formula 1<\/a> to evolve, arguing that drivers are \u201cbound\u201d by restrictive contracts that prevent them from even speaking to rival teams \u2013 a system he believes must change to complement the sport\u2019s rapid commercial growth.<\/p>\n

Over the years, the British driver has leveraged his platform to drive meaningful change across the sport and beyond.<\/p>\n

In 2020, he launched the Hamilton Commission to identify and tackle the underrepresentation of black individuals and minorities in motorsport and STEM fields.<\/p>\n

That initiative led to F1\u2019s first-ever Diversity & Inclusion charter, endorsed by all ten teams and the FIA, committing the sport to more equitable opportunities.<\/p>\n

Hamilton has also championed human rights and sustainability, calling attention to conditions in host countries, advocating for environmental action, and using his Mission 44 and Ignite charities to promote STEM education and inclusion for underrepresented youth.<\/p>\n

In a recent interview, the seven-time World Champion was asked what legacy he would like to leave behind when he eventually calls time on his illustrious career.<\/p>\n

Hamilton, however, moved the conversation away from personal accolades, making clear that legacy is not his priority.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, that\u2019s not my goal \u2013 that\u2019s not what I\u2019m focused on,\u201d he told RTBF. \u201cI never really talk about legacy, it\u2019s not my thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m often asked that question, but I don\u2019t think that way. When I was young, I used to say, \u2018I want to be remembered as one of the best F1 drivers.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cToday, I think differently. What I focus on is what I can contribute concretely.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"LewisLewis Hamilton is pushing to give upcoming F1 drivers more freedom<\/p>\n

Hamilton pushes for change both on and off the track<\/p>\n

The 40-year-old isn\u2019t just aiming to inspire change on a global scale; he\u2019s also focused on evolving F1 from within itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also think that the F1 system needs to evolve,\u201d he added. \u201cDrivers are bound by contracts that prevent them from talking to other teams. They can\u2019t even talk to other teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cF1 has grown enormously, with revenues skyrocketing from \u00a3700 million to over \u00a33 billion. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis growth is not reflected in all employees\u2019 salaries, which have not kept pace with the business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hamilton\u2019s comments on restrictive driver contracts carry extra weight given the high-profile move he made this year, leaving Mercedes for Ferrari \u2013 a decision that has yet to pay dividends on track.<\/p>\n

But for the Briton, sparking change in F1 also goes far beyond the driver market.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is still a significant lack of diversity in the paddock,\u201d he explained, \u201cand many things still need to change in our sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the past, drivers like Niki Lauda pushed for greater safety. Today, we need to create more access and more opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we visit all these countries, we must avoid leaving a mess behind. <\/p>\n

\u201cThere should be upcycling and a proper recycling system. Every weekend, food is wasted. Meanwhile, people are dying of hunger. We can work with food banks to redistribute it.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many positive things we can do here. Not everything has been done yet, and that\u2019s normal. It\u2019s not about being perfect, but about making progress every year.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s my role; I can get into the right rooms.<\/p>\n

\u201cSometimes people tell me, \u2018Shut up and drive.\u2019 But that\u2019s not me. I drive, yes, but I also do more \u2013 I can meet with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom or even a president if necessary \u2013 I can enter important rooms and have difficult conversations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s just how I am, and that\u2019s how I\u2019ll continue to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE \u2013 Lewis Hamilton applauded by Mercedes for being \u2018fantastic ally\u2019 to Kimi Antonelli<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Lewis Hamilton has called on Formula 1 to evolve, arguing that drivers are \u201cbound\u201d by restrictive contracts that…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":61036,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[1687,831,372,6537,832,101,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-61035","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-f1","tag-f1","tag-ferrari","tag-formula-1","tag-formula1","tag-lewis-hamilton","tag-sports","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61035","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61035"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61035\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61036"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61035"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61035"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61035"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}