THE EDITOR

IS THERE A BRITISH BIAS IN FORMULA 1?

In the aftermath of the Abu Dhabi debacle the topic has boiled over in some corners of the internet. The media outrage that greeted the decision by race director Michael Masi effectively to hand Max Verstappen victory – and therefore the title – was seen by many as a typically British response to ‘their man’ Lewis Hamilton’s defeat.

Leaving aside the rights and wrongs of that decision – which the FIA is investigating – the idea that F1 and the media somehow has been accused of favouring British drivers or teams in the past – most recently with our coverage of Abu Dhabi in December – and it is something about which we are vigilant. We report without fear or favour – and that extends to nationalities, too. We would have covered the incident with equal rigour had it been Hamilton who was given the jump on Verstappen.