FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem says that Formula 1 and the FIA must not be used by drivers as a “platform for personal agenda”.
In December, the governing body announced that the use of unapproved political messages would be prohibited for F1 drivers, as well as competitors in other categories.
For the last handful of years, drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have been vocal on matters such as racism, equality and climate change.
The rule announcement was met with backlash by fans amid a period where the sport is attending races where human rights have been called into question.
Speaking to reporters at the Dakar Rally, Ben Sulayem says that F1 drivers risk diverting attention away from the sport through their messages.
“We are concerned with building bridges,” Ben Sulayem said.
“You can use sport for peace reasons, but one thing we don’t want is to have the FIA as a platform for private personal agenda. We will divert from the sport.
“What does the driver do best? Driving. They are so good at it, and they make the business, they make the show, they are the stars. Nobody is stopping them.
“There are other platforms to express what they want. Everybody has this and they are most welcome to go through the process of the FIA, to go through that.”
Ben Sulayem highlighted that the FIA should be neutral, and suggested that drivers will be penalised through fines if they go against the new regulation.
“I have my own personal things, okay, but it doesn’t mean I will use the FIA to do it,” Ben Sulayem said.
“The FIA should be neutral, I believe. We need the superstars to make the sport.
“If there is anything, you take the permission. If not, if they make any other mistake, it’s like speeding in the pit lane. If you do it, it’s very clear what you get.”
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