Former Ferrari driver Gerhard Berger hits out at Formula 1’s media control culture. Gerhard Berger says modern F1 drivers have lost their freedom to speak openly.

Gerhard Berger has delivered a sharp criticism of modern Formula 1, arguing that today’s drivers have far less freedom to express themselves publicly than racers did in previous generations. The former Austrian driver believes the sport has gradually become more controlled, with teams increasingly shaping what drivers can and cannot say in interviews and public appearances.

Reflecting on his own era in Formula 1, the former Ferrari driver suggested that things were very different when he was racing.

“When I was racing, the driver was free to choose what to say. Nobody stepped in to modify or control his words,” Gerhard Berger said in an interview with Austrian media.

Gerhard Berger blames manufacturer influence for the cultural shift

According to the former Ferrari and McLaren driver, the major turning point came when large automotive manufacturers became more deeply embedded in Formula 1, bringing a different corporate mindset to the paddock.

“From that moment, drivers were made to understand that certain statements could damage the brand’s image. Today, it often feels like they are almost told what to say and what to avoid.”

Gerhard Berger’s comments touch on a growing debate around authenticity in modern Formula 1, where media training, brand messaging, and sponsor obligations often shape how drivers communicate with the public. While teams view this as part of protecting commercial interests, critics argue it has reduced the raw personality that once defined the sport.

Lando Norris situation referenced

Gerhard Berger also pointed to the recent discussion involving Lando Norris and McLaren, following reports that certain subjects were allegedly avoided during interviews with the British driver. While he did not go into extensive detail, the reference reinforced his broader concern that Formula 1 drivers today operate in a far more tightly managed media environment.

No Formula 1 return planned

Now 66, Gerhard Berger also made it clear that he has no intention of returning to the Formula 1 paddock in an official role: “Right now, I prefer focusing on my own activities and spending more time with my family. Returning to that environment would mean giving up things that I now consider more important.”

For Gerhard Berger, modern Formula 1 may still deliver world-class racing and technological excellence, but in his view, something important has been lost along the way: the unfiltered voice of the driver.

Gerhard Berger’s blunt critique therefore shines a harsh light on the corporate PR machine that heavily sanitizes modern Formula 1. While the influx of global automotive giants has brought unprecedented commercial growth and professionalism to the sport, it has arguably stripped the grid of the raw, unscripted personalities that fans fell in love with in decades past. Balancing corporate brand management with genuine human emotion remains an ongoing struggle for modern F1, and as long as drivers are coached to avoid speaking their minds, the paddock risks isolating the very audience that craves authentic sporting heroes.