Lewis Hamilton’s dad Anthony Hamilton is rumored to be on the brink of securing a prominent new role within the FIA, heightening speculations of a potential challenge to Mohammed Ben Sulayem’s presidency. Reports suggest that Anthony Hamilton is in line to take on a formal position within the FIA’s young driver program, an endeavor he has allegedly been involved in unofficially for more than a year.
The Times disclosed that an official announcement regarding the FIA’s young driver development pathway, potentially to be led by the father of the seven-time Formula 1 world champion, is expected during the upcoming FIA conference. This development comes amidst mounting tension as another F1 figure’s father, Carlos Sainz Sr, eyes a bid to contest Ben Sulayem’s presidency in the forthcoming election scheduled for December.
Ben Sulayem has been proactive in proposing operational changes within the FIA, a topic that will be deliberated upon at the forthcoming conference. These proposed alterations are perceived to fortify Ben Sulayem’s position and act as a deterrent to any challenges to his leadership.
The Hamilton family’s close-knit relationship has been evident, with Anthony Hamilton routinely present at his son’s races, particularly since Lewis joined the Ferrari team this season. His compassionate gesture towards rookie Isack Hadjar at the Australian Grand Prix, where he consoled the distraught driver after a crash, exemplifies the supportive role he may undertake within the FIA’s young driver development pathway.
Despite recent tensions between Ben Sulayem and F1 drivers, including Lewis Hamilton, Anthony Hamilton is believed to share an amicable relationship with the FIA president. Ben Sulayem’s controversial comments about drivers not being ‘rappers’ during a discussion on driver conduct, which Lewis Hamilton criticized for having a ‘racial element’, had sparked a war of words in recent months.
As the dynamics within the FIA leadership potentially shift with the speculated appointment of Anthony Hamilton, the motorsport community eagerly anticipates the outcomes of the upcoming conference and the ensuing election drama set to unfold.