Hamilton says F1 drivers ‘have no voting rights’ in FIA rule talks

Hamilton and Sainz Slam FIA Over Driver Exclusion From F1 Rule Changes

Lewis Hamilton declared that Formula 1 drivers “have no voting rights” and are being sidelined by the FIA as it navigates growing criticism of the sport’s 2026 power unit regulations, following a dangerous crash at Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix that drivers say was a direct product of the new rules.reddit

Bearman Crash Sparks Safety Alarm

Haas driver Ollie Bearman suffered a 50G impact with the barriers at Suzuka’s Spoon Curve on lap 22 after encountering a dramatic speed differential behind Alpine’s Franco Colapinto, who was in an energy-harvesting phase. The closing speed — estimated at 35km/h or more — caught Bearman off guard as he approached in full deployment mode. The 20-year-old lost control on the grass while taking evasive action before slamming into the barriers at high speed. He limped away from the wreckage and was taken to the medical centre, where X-rays confirmed no fractures but revealed a right knee contusion.motorsport

“We’ve, as a group, warned the FIA what can happen,” Bearman said after the race. “This has been a really unfortunate result of a massive delta speed that we’ve never seen before in Formula 1 until these new regulations.”planetf1

Drivers Challenge FIA and Teams

Hamilton, who finished sixth in the race, said he does not expect much from upcoming talks between the FIA, teams and manufacturers, warning there are “too many chefs in the kitchen” for meaningful reform. According to Crash.net, the seven-time world champion went further, stating that drivers “have no voting rights” and that the FIA is “only listening to teams”.x

Williams driver Carlos Sainz, who also serves as a GPDA director, echoed those concerns. “I hope it serves as an example, and the teams listen to the drivers, and not so much to the teams and some people who said the racing was okay, because the racing is not okay,” Sainz said. He warned that the speed differentials seen at Suzuka could prove far more dangerous at upcoming street circuits. “Imagine going to Baku, or going to Singapore, or going to Vegas, and having these kinds of closing speeds and crashes next to the walls,” he added.planetf1

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella, who first raised safety concerns about closing speeds during pre-season testing, said after Sunday’s race: “We don’t want to wait for things to happen to put actions in place. Something happened.”the-race

FIA Schedules April Review

The FIA issued a statement acknowledging the “contribution of high closing speeds” in Bearman’s crash but cautioned that “any speculation regarding the nature of potential changes would be premature”. A key meeting is now scheduled for April 9, with further discussions planned during an enforced five-week break before the Miami Grand Prix in May — created by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian rounds due to the conflict in the Gulf.crash

Any changes for the current season require unanimous approval from the F1 Commission, and drivers remain skeptical. “I’m a bit worried the teams will push back,” Sainz said. “Some teams will be against changing it too much because they have other interests.”planetf1