After the press release published on Instagram by the GPDA (drivers' association) attacking the FIA and its president in particular, George Russell spoke about this situation.
Present at a press conference in Las Vegas, George Russell was bombarded with questions related to this press release. Indeed, Russell is part of the management of this pilots association (GPDA).
“I mean, as a driver and not as a member of the GPDA, I think everyone felt that certain things that happened during the year made us stick together.”Russell said. “Ultimately we just want to be transparent with the FIA and have that dialogue that takes place, and I think Niels' departure [Wittich, l’ex-directeur de course] is also a great example of not participating in these conversations.”
“And ultimately we just want to work with the FIA to do what's best for the sport we all love. So I think we put the pressure back on them to work with us and with everyone, including F1, to maximize the opportunity that Formula 1 finds itself in at the moment, which is, you know, an extraordinary time to be part of it.”
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No response from the FIA
George Russell also explained the recent launch of the GPDA Instagram account, on which the famous press release was published.
“I think times are changing and fans are an important part of this sport,” Russell explains. “And I think if we're talking about openness and transparency and including everyone in this for everyone's benefit, then doing it on a social media platform makes perfect sense.”
After this long press release, George Russell was asked whether a response had been given by the FIA.
“No, not at the moment, which surprises me a little, to be honest,” Russell replied. “But maybe there will be something to come. Who knows?”
The Mercedes driver also believes that expressing himself within the framework of this association can strengthen the scope of the drivers' request.
“It’s been two years now since things have changed much when we gave our opinion,” says the British. “And I think we all wanted to show that we are collectively united. And maybe this will show how seriously we take this topic.”
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Russell: “A little more difficult to change things or keep promises”
This time asked about the level of confidence the drivers have in the FIA and its management, Russell added : “To be honest, I'm not very sure. We recognize that everyone is working as hard as possible to do the best job possible. Obviously there are a lot of changes within the FIA quite regularly, which means it's not the most stable place there is. Maybe that’s why it was a little difficult to implement some of the changes we wanted.”
“Of course, everyone has their own version of the story. But like I said, I think if we feel like we're being listened to and some of the changes that we're experiencing, that we're asking for, are being implemented, because at the end of the day we're just doing it. for the sake of the sport, then maybe our confidence will increase. But yes, I think there are a number of drivers who are probably a little fed up with this whole situation. And that seems to be going, to some extent, in the wrong direction.”
“It is certainly not difficult to get a meeting [avec le président de la FIA]but I think it's a little more difficult to get things changed or to keep promises,” Russell continues. “Maybe the FIA or the president didn't realize the gravity of what we all felt.
“I think that's why, over the 20 races this year and even last year, we talked about a number of topics, all the drivers, we all have pretty similar feelings. We all know what we want from this sport and the direction it has taken, and we probably think we want to do a little 180 degree turn on a number of issues and just want to work together with the FIA on this subject.”
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