Lewis Hamilton says it's hard to trust F1 when there's no accountability in the sport

Lewis Hamilton says there is “no transparency, no accountability” in F1 as the sport continues to be reeling from off-track disputes.

The seven-time champion appears to be confusing the controversy surrounding the actions of the FIA ​​governing body and Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.

Speaking ahead of this weekend's Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton said: “With the FIA, things are done behind closed doors, there is no accountability and the fans need that.”

He added: “If we don't have that, how can we trust this sport and what's going on here?”

Asked if Mohamed Ben Sulayem still had Hamilton's trust as FIA president, Hamilton said: “I never trust him.”

The Mercedes driver added: “I'm so proud of Susie. She's so brave, she embodies so many great values ​​and she's such a leader.”

“In a world where people are often silent, her standing up sends such a great message and I love that she's taking it out of the world and fighting it from the outside.

“So I hope that this position that she's taking now will make a difference and have a positive impact. And especially for women.”

As he continued to speak, he appeared to reference the controversy surrounding Mr Horner, who was accused of inappropriate behavior by a female colleague.

Mr Horner, 50, has always denied the allegations. Following an internal investigation, Red Bull dismissed his complaint and suspended the employee who made the complaint. She appealed Red Bull's decision to dismiss her charges.

BBC Sport previously reported that Red Bull's reasons for suspending employees were dishonest.

Hamilton added: “Sport remains a male-dominated sport and we live in an era where the message is 'file a complaint and you're fired'.” And that's a scary story to project into the world, especially when you're talking about inclusivity.

“We have to make sure we stay true to our core values.”

The report by the FIA ​​Compliance Officer included claims by a senior FIA witness that both things happened.

But on Wednesday, the FIA ​​announced that its ethics committee had cleared Ben Sulayem of “any wrongdoing” after interviewing 11 witnesses.

George Russell, Hamilton's teammate and director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, said: “I believe the leaders of this sport have Hamilton's best interests at heart, not their own. .It goes back to the issue of transparency.”

“When things are transparent and we see the outcome of these cases, we all have the opportunity to judge for ourselves based on all the facts and figures.

“But when you don't have facts and figures and you don't have transparency, you always think something is being hidden. That's why I think it's so important for the sport to send the right message. .”

The Horner controversy reveals a major power struggle within Red Bull involving the team principal, motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, two major shareholders and Jos Verstappen, father of three-time world champion Max Verstappen. I made it.

The Dutch driver said on Thursday: “I don't want to get involved too much in things like this. I'm a driver and I'm here to look at the performance side of things and that's what I'm hired to do.” .

“But as far as I know, everything was handled the right way. I don't know or want to know more, so I won't go into further detail. It's not my job or mission. “I don’t want to know” team. “

Verstappen has repeatedly given vague answers to questions about whether Horner had his full support and trust as team principal.

In Melbourne, he said, “It's very important to keep key players in the team for a long time because that will lead to performance.''

But he declined to name anyone he believed to be the key player.

Amid speculation he could leave Red Bull following the controversy, the 26-year-old reiterated that he “certainly intends to be here until the end” of his contract, which runs until 2028.

When asked if he felt as comfortable within the team as he did six months ago, Verstappen replied: “The team is like a second family to me, so I've always felt comfortable.”

“I tell my family sometimes…what do I say? Not that I disagree, but as you know, you can't choose your family. You can choose your friends.

“Honestly, for me it's the same, we're just focused on performance. I'd love to talk a little more about the great cars we have, but I hope it happens slowly. .”

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz will take part in free practice on Friday, two weeks after missing the previous race in Saudi Arabia after undergoing surgery for appendicitis.

The Spaniard said he was “confident” he could “jump in the car and do well”.

“I feel like it's possible given how I'm feeling right now. Will I be 100%? Of course not. But am I fit to race? That's how I feel right now,” he added.

“I'm fit to jump in the car and try, but if I don't feel well, I'll be the first to raise my hand and say I need two more weeks.”