As the competition for the 2024 F1 championship heated up, Max Verstappen made it clear multiple times that he felt disadvantaged because of his nationality. He emphasized that he didn’t have the right passport for the sport, hinting at the perceived favoritism towards British drivers in Formula 1.

That being said, it’s uncommon for one of the top competitors to openly mention it.
‘British-Bias’ in F1 is a subject that we’ve talked about a lot since tensions rose in 2021.

The term was frequently used by fans during the close competition between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton. It’s noteworthy that Max Verstappen has talked about this supposed bias in the sport. There are arguments for and against what he said.Let’s examine them.

Many believe that there is a ‘British Bias’ in F1, especially in the way the sport is broadcasted and covered by the media.
A majority of the publications that report on F1 are located in England, and the official broadcast of the sport is done by Sky Sports, a British television network.

This bias was clearly seen in recent years when non-British drivers like Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen were dominating the championships. Adrian Newey even mentioned the issue of “nationalistic coverage” in a recent interview.

• “I believe that people don’t fully understand and appreciate Max, just like they didn’t with Sebastian.
  Both of them have been unfairly demonized, especially by the British media.”

He also added.

• Sky Sports has a significant impact globally. Their viewership numbers are high worldwide, although their coverage tends to focus more on national events.”

The issue is not necessarily with Sky Sports or other British publications. Some believe that the issue lies with the FOM using a nationalistic feed for a global audience.
Sky’s revenue model and growth depend on its UK subscribers, so their coverage tends to focus on that demographic.

The same can be said for Dutch, British, Italian, and French broadcasts. Additionally, many publications are based in Britain. One well-known publication famously wrote an open letter to Max Verstappen, advising him not to crash into Lewis Hamilton before the 2021 F1 Abu Dhabi GP, which led to backlash from fans.

Max Verstappen addressing this openly is great because now the FOM can address the issue. While we can’t control the editorial practices of British publications, the reigning world champion speaking out against official broadcasters could potentially lead to change if dissatisfaction continues to grow.

However, Max Verstappen made a mistake by questioning the integrity of the FIA stewards. Although he did not directly accuse Johnny Herbert, the steward at the F1 Mexican GP, of being biased against him, implying that he was penalized because of his nationality was not appropriate.

Verstappen deserved the two penalties he received in Mexico because he crossed the line in both instances. It may not have been the right time to challenge the stewards and bring up his nationality when he was rightfully penalized.

Should the FIA have a permanent group of stewards? Indeed, it should. Should there be more consistency? Absolutely. However, does this mean that teams and drivers should accuse foul play? The answer is a clear no.

Essentially, this overlooks a smart move that Max made when he criticized the Sky Sports broadcast while arguing a lost cause and using nationality as a tool. The most important thing moving forward is for the driver to clarify what he is trying to say.

If he can explain his concerns about how F1 is covered by the media and the FIA stewards, then there is potential for change. If Max believes there is foul play with the FIA stewards, now is the perfect time for him to speak up in support of a permanent panel.

The governing body should be responsible for ensuring consistency and setting the standard on the track, and Max Verstappen, a soon-to-be four-time world champion, is now in a position to lead change in the sport.

It is unclear whether he will do it or not, but it is still significant that the driver brought up an important issue in our sport, even though it could have been done better.