McLaren boss Zak Brown has expressed frustration over multiple scandals that have overshadowed the start of the F1 season.
The move comes a day after F1’s governing body, the FIA, found its ethics committee cleared of “misconduct” by president Mohammad Ben Sulayem over allegations of interference.
Ben Sulayem has been accused by a whistleblower of trying to influence the F1 process on two separate occasions.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton on Thursday accused Ben Sulayem of never supporting the FIA president.
Brown believed that the secrecy surrounding the FIA needed to end.
“We are living in 2024, not 1984, and that means full transparency,” he said Friday.
“I think we need to make sure things are done in a transparent and truly independent way. I think everyone should welcome transparency.”
This is not the only situation the FIA is dealing with. Things escalated further this week when Susie Wolff, head of the all-female racing series F1 Academy, filed a criminal complaint against the FIA.
Brawn answered a barrage of questions about the various scandals involving F1 ahead of Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.
“Everyone wants these different topics [be resolved to] We can go back to auto racing, but people will continue to have questions until all the unanswered questions are answered,” Brown said.
“I don’t think it’s a very good situation that we’re still talking about these issues with three races left on the calendar.
“It is important that the FIA, as our governing body, addresses this matter swiftly and transparently and reaches whatever conclusion is correct.”
Brown also praised Oscar Piastri’s hometown hero’s evolution in the 12 months since his Australian Grand Prix debut.
The Melbourne-born driver is hoping to become the first Australian to finish on the podium since F1 began racing at Albert Park.
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Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris set the fastest time in the first practice of the weekend on Friday, holding off three-time world champion Max Verstappen and boding well for McLaren’s bid to equal powerhouses Red Bull and Ferrari. showed.
Piastri briefly led P1 early on, but finished 10th fastest, one place ahead of fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo in his first drive in Melbourne since 2022.
Brawn was impressed with how quickly Piastri adapted to life as an F1 driver.
“He’s already a mature young man, but after a year you can definitely see he has a higher level of confidence because he knows what to expect. I think it will bring an even better performance in the state,” he said.
During the first hour-long practice session, ten minutes were lost when Alex Albon lost control of his Williams and crashed into the wall.
The Thai driver escaped the accident and was not injured, but a tire flew off the vehicle and there appeared to be significant damage to the gearbox.
Albert Park was a graveyard for Australian drivers, with Piastri’s mentor Mark Webber and Ricciardo never finishing higher than fourth at the circuit during their long careers.
Ricciardo famously finished second in the 2014 race, but was disqualified and stripped of the podium.
