Lewis Hamilton has conceded he is 'not surprised' by a lack of inclusivity within the FIA's regulatory framework. The seven-time champion has been a guiding light on societal issues within F1 and motorsport in recent years, with his push for diversity and inclusivity leading to a number of initiatives both from himself, his Mercedes team, F1 and the FIA. His Mission 44 initiative is helping those from underprivileged backgrounds gain access to STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics] projects, whilst The Hamilton Commission report in 2021 led to widespread adoption of tools and projects across the F1 grid. Hamilton has, as part of his push, backed the increase in visibility of female talent in F1 - whether it be young up-and-coming drivers, as shown by his support of the now defunct W Series, or those that work behind the scenes as mechanics, engineers or other roles throughout a team business. But whilst steps have been made by F1 and the FIA in recent years, a look to the rulebook still shows an alarming issue yet to be addressed.
As the regulations are regularly updated rather than overhauled, drivers are still referred to only as 'he' in the regulatory framework. This is contrast to the FIM and MotoGP, where an individual is referred to in the rulebook as 'rider' to fulfil gender inclusivity. When the issue was put to him, Hamilton told media including RacingNews365 : "It doesn't surprise me. "It is only men in that room and it has been since I've been here. "There has not been enough importance [on changing], probably. Maybe there is another side but definitely not encouraging to hear that."
Under review
An FIA spokesperson told RacingNews365 : "The FIA statutes are prefaced by a statement that terms referring to any person are applicable to both genders, and this topic is currently under internal review."
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