F1 News: Kevin Magnussen Latest Driver To Hit Back Over FIA Ruling

The Haas driver was "surprised" by the FIA's decision to prohibit drivers from making personal, political, or religious statements.

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen has joined the ranks of F1 drivers who are challenging the ban imposed by the FIA on political messages during Grand Prix weekends.

After the close of the 2022 Formula One season, the FIA declared their intention to crack down on any unsanctioned remarks.

This move by the FIA was motivated by the frequent public statements made by Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel on various topics, including race, discrimination, and the environment.

Numerous racers have already raised objections to the FIA's ruling, including the current F1 champion, Max Verstappen, and Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas.

The topic is likely to be a hot topic of discussion as the drivers gear up for pre-season testing, set to commence later this month.

During an interview with Sky Sports, the Danish driver said:

“I was surprised. I still need to understand it, I guess many of us still kind of need to understand what that means.

“I’m from a part of the world, I grew up in a country where we are all free to express our views and religions. [We’re] free to speak our mind.

“I think that’s a value that I appreciate and would like to see in F1 as well. I’m curious to see how that goes and how conversations are going to go.”

When asked if he thought other drivers will be speaking out on the ruling, he responded:

“Yeah, absolutely. But of course, we’re here to race and we don’t want to get penalties imposed on us because of different things. It’s just not great.

“I would like to have the freedom. Not that I necessarily plan to do anything, but just having that freedom is an essential value.”