You askin’ if politics should be in racin’ like that F1 thing? Well, I tell ya, it’s a mess, that’s what it is. Like stirrin’ up a hornet’s nest with a stick. That FIA, they the big shots, they makin’ the rules. This year, they say drivers gotta keep their mouths shut ’bout politics, need to ask first if they wanna talk. Used to be, they could just say what they wanted, on that Twitter thing, you know, and talkin’ to the news folks.
Now, they got this new rule, Article somethin’ or other, that says no talkin’ about politics. Plain silly, if you ask me. Drivers, they got opinions, just like anybody else. Why they gotta be quiet? They ain’t hurtin’ nobody by sayin’ what they think.
They got this other thing, #WeRaceAsOne. Sounds nice, don’t it? Talks about fightin’ that sickness, what’s it called, COVID? And somethin’ about racism, not bein’ mean to folks ’cause of their skin. But then they go and tell folks to be quiet about their views. Makes no sense! That’s like sayin’, “We all in this together, but shut your mouth!”
That Bernie fella, he used to be the top dog in F1. He says sportin’ and politics, they don’t mix. Like oil and water, I reckon. He said somethin’ ’bout a race in Bahrain, and that it ain’t got nothin’ to do with the trouble there. Sounds fishy to me. Like they tryin’ to hide somethin’.
Lots of folks go to these F1 races. Millions of ’em! Last year it was, what, 6.15 million or somethin’ like that? More folks than you can shake a stick at. They come from all over, spendin’ their hard-earned money. They come to see a good race. They go to see fast cars, loud engine, not hear about politics. But why they can’t talk about it if they want to?
There’s all kinds of fightin’ in F1, not just on the track. They fight about the rules, about the cars, about the money. It’s always somethin’. That FIA, they the ones in charge of the rules. They the rule makers, like the sheriff in town. But sometimes, they make rules that just don’t sit right with folks.
This here fella, Jean Todt, he’s the big cheese at the FIA. He’s like the head honcho, the top banana. He’s got a lot of say-so in what goes on.
There is a fella, Horner, said somethin’ about how sports should be first, but, what that mean? Can’t never tell with these folks, they all talk in circles.
So, you ask me, should politics be in racin’? Well, I say, folks should be able to say what they think, no matter where they are. Even if it’s at a race track. But keepin’ the peace is important, too. It’s hard to say what’s right and what’s wrong, to be honest. But I think people need to talk, to get along, understand one another. Even when they are at the F1 race. It is important.
Here’s what I think about all this:
- Drivers are people too. They got a right to their say.
- Them FIA folks, they need to listen more, talk less.
- Keepin’ the peace is good, but not at the cost of folks keepin’ quiet.
- That #WeRaceAsOne thing, it’s a good idea, but they need to practice what they preach.
- F1 is about racin’, sure, but it’s also about people. And those people want to see exciting races, no one is denied to come to see the cars, not politics.
It’s a real head-scratcher, this whole politics in racin’ thing. But one thing’s for sure, it ain’t goin’ away anytime soon. It is a big thing. It is important for everyone. There will always be people talking about it. It is just how it is. Lots of people like to talk about the rules. People like to watch the race. They come for the race. More and more people come every year. It is getting big.
