FIA bans F1 drivers from wearing T-shirts on Russian GP podium

Formula 1 drivers have been banned from wearing unofficial clothing post-race and on the podium at the Russian Grand Prix, following Lewis Hamilton’s Breonna Taylor protest.

The FIA announced a change to its post-race procedure from the Russian Grand Prix after Hamilton wore a T-shirt drawing attention to police brutality in the United States at the previous round at Mugello.

The T-shirt said: “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor” – a black woman who was shot and killed in her apartment by US police in March.

Hamilton was not investigated for the protest and vowed he would not stop in his activism to highlight racial injustice and inequality in his ongoing fight against racism. 

Speaking ahead of this weekend’s race in Sochi, Hamilton said he expected the FIA to ban him from carrying out similar demonstrations in future.

“Lots of rules have been written for me over the years, that hasn’t stopped me,” he said. “What I will do is just continue to try to work with Formula 1 and with the FIA to make sure the messaging is right.”

The revised guidance issued to drivers by the sport’s governing body states that the top three finishers in the race “must remain attired only in their driving suits, ‘done up’ to the neck, not opened to the waist”.

The pre-race end racism demonstration organised by F1 will continue as it has done for the previous nine races of the revised 2020 season.

Hamilton starts today’s Russian Grand Prix from pole position, ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas.