Mercedes Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton was ordered to "take down an on-board video clip from social media because it broke guidelines" set by F1's new owner, Liberty Media, according to Jonathan McEvoy of the London DAILY MAIL. Liberty has "encouraged drivers to reach out to fans by posting behind-the-scenes selfies and videos online, with Hamilton one of the keenest to comply." But footage of his pole lap in China nine days ago was "deemed unacceptable by Liberty because on-track action is the preserve of official broadcasters." Liberty representatives spoke to Mercedes and members of Hamilton's personal management team to "ask they remove it from his Instagram account." Hamilton "immediately agreed to the request" (DAILY MAIL, 4/17). THE DRUM's Tony Connelly reported following its £6.4B takeover of F1, Liberty introduced more "relaxed social media regulations" for teams and drivers in a bid to "strengthen the entertainment and commercial value of the sport and stimulate more engagement among fans." The guidelines do not, however, allow for any on-track footage or images to be posted as it belongs to broadcasters and Liberty is "keen to protect and strengthen the value of future broadcast deals." Hamilton, who has 3.8 million followers on Instagram and 4.16 million on Twitter, has been "one of the most active drivers in taking advantage of the new guidelines" (THE DRUM, 4/18).
