George Russell advocates FIA change as F1 driver relations reach 'unprecedented times'

George Russell believes relations between F1 drivers and the FIA are in "unprecedented times" as tensions between the two camps continue to linger.

The persistent strain on the relationship has been particularly evident since towards the end of last season, when the president of the motorsport governing body, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, expressed his displeasure with swearing in F1 to the press.

In addition to Max Verstappen being punished for saying the F-word in an official FIA press conference at the Singapore Grand Prix just hours later, many F1 drivers were unhappy with Ben Sulayem using the media as a mouthpiece.

This led to the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) penning an open letter in the weeks that followed, voicing its dissatisfaction with how the FIA was regulating the championship. Shared on social media, it addressed some of the F1 drivers' concerns with Ben Sulayem directly.

Russell, who is a director of the GPDA, is one of a number of drivers who have been outspoken about the issues between F1 and the FIA.

Although the hostilities dissipated over the winter, the introduction of the contentious Appendix B to the International Sporting Code (ISC), commonly known as the stewards' penalty guidelines, earlier this year reignited the animosity.

It gave officials the power to fine - and even ban or dock championship points from - drivers who use foul language or criticise the governing body, amongst other things, which unsurprisingly increased friction again.

When it was put to the Mercedes driver that the GPDA does not appear to have a formal relationship, with structured meetings and open channels of communication, with the FIA, the 27-year-old underlined the potential need for change in how the two bodies interact.

"I feel it's like unprecedented times we’ve been in over the last 18 months with what’s been changed and what’s happening," Russell told media including RacingNews365.

"I think when the GPDA was founded years ago, it wasn’t really to talk about politics – it was to talk about safety, improvements of the sport, improvements of the racing.

"Especially myself – I find myself talking about topics that I didn’t really have any intention of talking about. But we find ourselves in a time where we're not focused on the things why we’re all here.

"We're here to go racing, we’re here to create the best show for the fans, to have the fastest cars, the safest cars, the best technology, the best engineering – and yet we talk about fines and punishments and swearing.

"So yeah, maybe something should change. We're open to it, but we just ultimately want the best for the sport."