During his visit to the F1 paddock in Miami, Donald Trump sported his iconic Make America Great Again hat.
McLaren found itself caught between a rock and a hard place as Lando Norris’ epic Miami victory was inexorably linked with Donald Trump.
Lando Norris’ first Grand Prix victory became forever linked to Donald Trump, as the commentary soundbite inevitably fused the two together.
David Croft’s wordplay was a needless association
David Croft’s clever wordplay came to life as Norris triumphantly crossed the finish line to secure his first Grand Prix victory in an unforgettable manner, outperforming Max Verstappen on sheer merit.
The pun was completely innocent, as Croft’s fondness for puns is well-known, just like the perfect combination of chips and sausages. However, this specific remark will forever be etched in Norris’ memory, as he replays this significant moment in his F1 career.
Regrettably, it diminished from an otherwise extraordinary moment. Would Croft have praised “Lando Norris’ exceptional performance today” if the Russian GP remained an event?
Consider this: Reflecting on it, even in the future as a retiree in fifty years, Norris will always associate his significant moment with the circumstance that, on this specific day, McLaren was compelled to welcome the polarizing ex-president of the United States, Donald Trump.
Trump, however, graced the Miami Grand Prix with his presence, as he had been extended an invitation by real estate magnate Steven Witkoff.
How Donald Trump ended up in the F1 paddock
The organizers of the Miami Grand Prix intervened and issued a cease and desist order to halt a planned fundraising event for the Republican party’s 2024 presidential campaign, which was set to take place in the paddock suite facilities. The event had tickets priced at $250,000 per person, but it was stopped due to a violation of the suite usage terms.
However, despite F1’s efforts, Trump, who is currently facing four criminal trials for various charges such as campaign finance fraud, conspiracy to defraud the US and its citizens’ rights, election racketeering, and conspiracy to obstruct justice due to mishandling of confidential documents, managed to attend the race.
F1 was called upon to assist the US Secret Service in their operations at the Grand Prix circuit, arriving with a substantial security team.
Afterwards, Trump was seen at the McLaren garage alongside esteemed F1 officials who were more than willing to take photographs with the aspiring president. These notable figures included McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, and Liberty Media CEO Greg Maffei.
Trump’s entourage, not F1, asked to visit the McLaren garage, which led to Trump’s visit to the paddock. The request was specifically made to McLaren because of the location of their hospitality and garage. No other teams received a similar request.
Naturally, McLaren acknowledged the significance of the visit and promptly released a statement expressing their stance.
The statement reads: “Although McLaren is a non-political organization, we acknowledge and hold in high regard the position of the President of the United States.”
Therefore, upon receiving the invitation to attend our garage on race day, we gladly accepted, accompanied by the FIA president and the CEOs of Liberty Media and Formula 1.
McLaren Racing felt privileged to be selected as the representative of F1, allowing us to demonstrate our exceptional engineering expertise in the field of motorsport.
Regardless of the fact that Trump is no longer in the Presidency, McLaren faced a difficult situation where they would be criticized regardless of their decision. Any stance they took would attract attention and potentially expose them to criticism for associating with Trump.
During his visit to the pre-race grid, Trump opted to remove his MAGA hat. He also posed for a photoshoot in front of the McLaren garage, hatless.
As Norris celebrated his Grand Prix victory, he found himself in a situation where he had to address inquiries about Trump’s visit while interacting with the press.
“He saw me after, and he came up to congratulate me,” Norris said.
“So I guess an honour because, whenever you have someone like this, it has to be an honour for them to come up to you, to take time out of their life, to pay their respect for what you’ve done.
“He said he was my lucky charm because it’s my win. So I don’t know if he’s going to come to more races now.
“But yeah, there’s a lot of special people or cool people that have been here this weekend. Donald is someone that you got to have a lot of respect for in many ways. And yeah, for anyone like that who acknowledges what you can go out and do and acknowledges the work ethic that goes into things, you got to be thankful for that. And I was. So yeah, a cool moment. And that’s all.”
It is unlikely that McLaren intended for Norris to indirectly show respect for Donald Trump’s well-known opinions right after his first win. However, to assume that Norris does not hold questionable views or lacks moral integrity, his remarks seemed more like those of a young athlete attempting to remain neutral and avoid taking a stance on the matter.
FIA’s International Sporting Code stances on political statements
The FIA implemented a new rule in 2022 that prohibits individuals under its authority, including drivers and team members, from making any form of political statement. This decision was made in response to notable instances like Lewis Hamilton wearing a T-shirt demanding justice for Breonna Taylor’s death and his widespread campaign supporting the Black Lives Matter movement throughout 2020.
The ISC prescribes the act of creating and showcasing political, religious, and personal statements or comments, which goes against the principle of neutrality advocated by the FIA under its Statutes.
Certainly, one could argue that his mere presence does not constitute a political statement, and both F1 and McLaren made efforts to stay impartial despite the challenging circumstances. It is important to consider this background when hearing Norris’ attempt to adhere to this rule while responding to the question about Trump.
The intention of the ISC regarding political statements should be followed consistently in Formula 1, including not only by the drivers and team personnel.
Despite previous instances of F1 hosting former and current presidents, such as the memorable encounter between Bernie Ecclestone and Vladimir Putin at previous Russian Grands Prix, the mere presence of a president at an F1 event does not necessarily require any specific reaction.
During the 2017 US Grand Prix, the winner’s trophy was presented on the podium by former US President Bill Clinton. It is worth noting that neither Clinton nor his wife Hillary were participating in a presidential election at that time.
But, was Trump there as a civilian, a celebrity, or an active political figure? Given the involvement of the Secret Service, it can hardly be argued he was there as a civilian or as the former star of The Apprentice.
Images of Trump wearing a Make America Great Again cap, which symbolizes the far-right extremist ideology prevalent in the United States, were shared after his visit to the paddock, although they were not featured on the main feed or any F1 social media channels.
The presence of Trump wearing this cap in front of cameras during a politician’s campaign trail implies a silent approval. If a driver or team member were to wear a similar cap in the paddock, it would be considered a political issue and thoroughly examined. Hence, it cannot be claimed that political neutrality was upheld during Trump’s entire visit.
If Trump attended as Witcoff’s guest and displayed promotional campaign material in the paddock, it would be considered a violation of the cease and desist order imposed on Witcoff before the weekend. What consequences should follow as a result?
The solution is distance, not condemnation
F1’s efforts to remain politically neutral have backfired, as seen when former President Trump wore his own political symbol in the F1 paddock. While some may understand the dilemma F1 faces in trying to please everyone, there is a lack of response from the organization to distance itself from the MAGA message that was visible globally, albeit not on the official world feed.
Regarding solutions, it is important to acknowledge that political involvement is not exclusive to the United States. In fact, senior leaders and politicians from various democratic countries often attend races as guests of Formula 1 and its teams. Similarly, even royal leaders from monarchies, despite their questionable human rights records, are often given special treatment on the grid as they contribute financially to the sport.
There is no clear answer to this, particularly in this situation. While it is possible for a team to deny a request from a wealthy visitor, McLaren’s decision, if they had done so, would have been both a political statement and a refusal.
Is it possible for a member of FOM or the FIA to forcibly remove a person’s MAGA hat, even if it’s against the rules? And considering the circumstances, it’s unlikely that Trump would be concerned about being banned from the F1 paddock afterwards, or if his friend received a hefty fine or ban for accommodating him in their suite.
However, after successfully navigating the difficult task of handling Trump’s presence without any prior communication, and with McLaren also making efforts to avoid controversy, it is now necessary for F1 and the FIA to publicly distance themselves – without explicitly condemning – in order to uphold their commitment to political neutrality.
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