Anthony Hamilton, father of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, is reportedly set to take up an official role within the FIA after working in an advisory capacity over the past 18 months.
According to a report from The Times, Hamilton Snr has played a key role in the FIA’s Young Driver Development Pathway (YDDP), which is set to be formally announced at the next FIA Conference in Macau. The Brit will help present this along with incumbent president Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The report explains that Hamilton Snr is ‘keen to contribute’ to grassroots driver development and safeguarding young prospects from predatory managers and agents.
While Hamilton Snr has thrown his weight behind Ben Sulayem ahead of his re-election campaign toward the end of the year, his son has been far less convinced by the Emirati’s leadership of the FIA.
The seven-time world champion publicly called out the 63-year-old after he compared swearing F1 drivers to “rappers” last season. The acting FIA president has spearheaded an unpopular clampdown on driver language, although the severity of the fines and punishments facing drivers has been scaled back ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
“With what he’s saying, I don’t like how he’s expressed it, saying that rappers is very stereotypical,” Hamilton Jnr said when asked about Ben Sulayem’s controversial interview.
“You think about most rappers are Black. That really kind points it towards, when it says we’re not like them. So I think those are the wrong choice of words, there’s a racial element there. But as I said, I agree with the fact that I think [it needs] cleaning up a little bit.”
Hamilton Snr’s support may not be enough to earn Ben Sulayem a second term, though. He is facing new competition from another famous racing father, Carlos Sainz Snr.
The two-time World Rally champion is the father of Williams racer Carlos Sainz Jnr, and revealed ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix that he is open to a presidential bid. The legendary Spaniard has the support of numerous key paddock figures and the historic motorsport credentials to back up his ideas.
