F1 news LIVE: Stefano Domenicali reacts to ban on drivers making political statements

After claiming the constructors’ championship in 2022, the team principal has lauded the talent of his drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.

And Horner believes the team can get even better despite their dominance last season after showcasing the RB19.

The Red Bull boss is excited about the potential of the RB19 ahead of the new season

Verstappen ran away with last season’s title, winning 15 of the 22 races, to secure his second championship with four rounds to spare. In contrast, Hamilton, in his under-performing Mercedes, endured the worst year of his career as he failed to win a race and finished 214 points adrift.

But when addressing the prospect of renewing his rivalry with Hamilton at Red Bull’s season launch in New York, Verstappen, 25, said: “In the interest of the sport you always want the teams to be super-close.

Red Bull and their Dutch driver ran away with last season’s drivers and constructors’ titles

Alex Albon has urged for “clarity” on the FIA’s new rule banning Formula 1 drivers from making political statements.

World motorsport’s governing body has updated its international sporting code with a new regulation whereby drivers will be in breach if they make or display “political, religious and personal statements… unless previously approved in writing by the FIA.”

Drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and the now-retired Sebastian Vettel have been vocal and outspoken on matters such as racial inequality, minority rights and climate change and this new rule seems to be clamping down on such shows of protest.

And British-Thai driver Albon, ahead of his second season with Williams, told the media on Monday that the situation was “somewhat confusing” and insisted the drivers need to be able to “speak freely” on matters close to their heart.

“Political stances are a very sensitive area so we need clarity from the FIA on what they’re trying to tell us,” the 26-year-old said at Williams’ 2023 car launch in Oxford.

The Williams driver insisted the new FIA regulation was ‘somewhat confusing’, adding that drivers must be able to ‘speak freely’ on political issues

Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali implored the sport will “never put a gag on anyone” in wake of the FIA’s ban on drivers making political statements.

The FIA updated their international sporting code in the off-season to implement a regulation stating that drivers will be in breach of the rulebook if they make “political, religious or personal” statements without prior approval from F1’s governing body.

The likes of Lewis Hamilton and the recently retired Sebastian Vettel have regularly spoken out on matters such as racial inequality, minority rights and climate change and this new rule seems to be a clampdown on their ability to highlight issues close to their heart.

While Domenicali believed the FIA would indeed provide further details in the near future, the ex-Ferrari chief insisted that the sport was eager to encourage drivers raising important political issues.

“F1 will never put a gag on anyone,” he told The Guardian. “Everyone wants to talk so to have the platform to say what they want in the right way the better it is. We have a huge opportunity because of the position of our sport which is more and more global, multicultural and multivalued.

“We are talking about 20 drivers, 10 teams and many sponsors, they have different ideas, different views. I cannot say one is right, one is wrong but it is right, if needed, to give them a platform to discuss their opinions in an open way.”

The 2023 Formula 1 season starts on 5 March in Bahrain - and preparations are well underway ahead of the new campaign.

All 10 teams have had more than two months since the final race of 2022 in Abu Dhabi and are set to reveal their new cars in the next few weeks, with pre-season testing taking place at the Bahrain International Circuit from 23-25 February.

Here are the 2023 car launch dates in chronological order:

AlphaTauri - Saturday 11 February (Livery launch, New York)

Aston Martin - Monday 13 February (Silverstone)

McLaren - Monday 13 February (location TBC)

Ferrari - Tuesday 14 February (location TBC)

Mercedes - Wednesday 15 February (Silverstone)

Alpine - Thursday 16 February (London)

Alfa Romeo unveiled their 2023 Formula 1 car at a special launch event in Zurich on Tuesday morning.

Alfa’s C43 challenger, sporting a luxurious red-and-black livery, will be driven by Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu this year, with most of the development concerning the rear of the car and the floor amid a tweak in the technical regulations.

Both Bottas and Zhou were present in Switzerland for the eventand will drive the car for the first time in a shakedown in Barcelona, before pre-season testing in Bahrain on 23-25 February.

The first race of the 2023 season, the Bahrain Grand Prix, takes place a week later on 3-5 March.

“You always get excited [with the launch of a new car] and we’re really fortunate people to drive these machines,” said Bottas, who is embarking on his second season with Alfa having left Mercedes after the 2021 campaign.

Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu were present at the launch event in Zurich as Alfa revealed their C43 challenger

Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali insists the sport will never “put a gag on anyone” after the FIA’s off-season clampdown on drivers making political statement.

An update to the FIA international sporting code means drivers will be in breach of the rulebook if they make political statements “without prior approval” but Domenicali - head of F1, not the FIA - spoke out against this, telling The Guardian: “Everyone wants to talk so to have the platform to say what they want in the right way the better it is. We have a huge opportunity because of the position of our sport which is more and more global, multicultural and multivalued.”

“We will not change that approach as a sport. That should be the line of our sport, to give everyone the chance to speak in the right way, not with aggressive tones or to offend but with respect.”

“We keep monitoring the situation. We keep the drivers informed, we meet with the Grand Prix Drivers’ Associations to discuss it. How we can allow the drivers to be open as human beings in our sport. Athletes can be very emotional and passionate about some things and they need to discuss that constructively with people they trust.”