Damon Hill, the 1996 F1 world champion, has created a new body destined to promote the interests of drivers from all categories beyond the corporate and team-centered realms.
Hill wants to give all professional drivers a stage to represent their views and relay their voices , independently from their team or politically correct racing environments.
"The PRDA is just an empty vessel at the moment,” Hill explains.
"My hope is that it fills with professional racing drivers and also fans. We hope it can then give a single voice to issues that are relevant.
"It could be a pressure group, a lobbying group or it might in future be able to give protection and representation to professional drivers and might be able to take on specific issues.
"I felt the need for this throughout my career in F1. There was no protection there from forces more powerful than them. We had the GPDA, of course, but that was primarily about safety issues."
Hill believes drivers should be freed up and offered a platform to convey their views and make once again visible their charisma and personality.
"A few exceptionally talented individuals – your Alonsos and Hamiltons – have managed to transcend all that," says Hill.
"But they are exceptional. Their talent has made them sufficiently powerful that their wings are not clipped in the same way. But they’ve had to fight bloody hard to do that. Is that right? Is that healthy for the sport?"
The PRDA's mission statement reads as follows:
"The PRDA aims to represent the interests of professional, junior and retired racing drivers. The association aims to unite drivers across series and countries because what's good for drivers is good for motorsport.
"We believe motorsport must showcase the talent and personalities of its athletes for them to connect with fans. We want the focus to be on driving skill, with exciting cars and circuits, to ensure a healthy future for our sport.
"The PRDA is independent and not-for-profit, allowing us to do what's best for the sport. We believe in exciting racing between brilliant drivers. We celebrate the individuals behind the wheel, and their relationships with their fans."
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