diversity – The Fastest Sector

It is no secret that motorsport has a severe race issue (no pun intended), but why even with all the awareness and calls for action, do we still see these despicable acts and displays of racism at even the top flights of the sport?

Racism is deeply rooted in motorsport from the confederate roots of NASCAR to the massive diversity issue within F1, but even after almost a century of the existence of both organizations, we have yet to see an evolution in how these issues are handled.

Lewis Hamilton is massively famous for many reasons whether it be his 100+ career win and poles or his 7 world championships or even his outside business ventures, but it is also no secret that he is the only black F1 driver in the sports history.

Source: Autosport.com

In a perfect world, his ethnicity or skin color wouldn’t be an issue to anybody, but we don’t live in a perfect world… unfortunately.

Lewis has been the victim of racist attacks throughout his entire career but for the longest time it was from the fans almost exclusively which, while that is still extremely wrong, it had no bearing on the racing aspect.

That was until recently when former F1 driver and Brazil’s lesser loved stepchild Nelson Piquet sat down for a podcast following the announcement of Lewis gaining dual citizenship to Brazil. In the podcast Piquet called Lewis a derogatory term followed by laughter.

Source: dailystar.co.uk

Now, it does not take a specialist to explain how horrific this was and its implications on the topic of race in motorsport because now it’s not only being alienated by fans, but now also by your fellow competitors both current and former.

This incident happened less than a month after F2 driver Juri Vips was suspended by the Red Bull Driver Academy for saying a racial slur like the one used by Piquet while livestreaming with fellow F2 driver Liam Lawson.

Vips was suspended almost immediately after the incident occurred, but he was able to keep his seat with HiTech and was kept by the Academy despite his heinous remarks.

Source: insider.com

These are just two examples of people with close ties to F1 openly using racial remarks, with one of them even being used to dehumanize a driver who has used his career to make sports more inclusive and facing no real punishment or repercussions for their actions. So, what must change?

One thing that must change is the parties involved have to be held accountable. You can’t just say change has to be made if you hold a position of power, you have to force the changes and put actions into effect that eradicate the issues at hand. Thoughts and prayers can only get an issue so far before actual actions have to be taken and after 70+ years with no change, it’s about time we start to see those actions. Thank you.

Feel free to contribute your opinions and suggestions on what efforts can be made to resolve this issue in motorsport in the comments below.

Written by Leslie Okafor on November 26, 2021

Final revision: February 10, 2022

Formula one, like many other sports around the globe, wanted to take a stand against racism at the height of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020. In response to the BLM movement, the governing body of motorsport, the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile), chose to raise awareness by including the slogan “We Race as One” in advertisements on tv, on the cars and at the tracks, to show the support and desire for inclusivity in the sport.

This initiative to show inclusivity in a sport dominated by white men aimed to spread a positive message to its viewers, employers, and partners. But I believe this is just for show.

Lewis Hamilton is the first person of colour to win a world championship. He is also the only person of colour on the current grid, a role model to many kids who look like him. He is one of the first of few drivers who continuously voice their anger towards injustice and inequality in society- creating his own initiative to bring diversity into the sport with “The Hamilton Commission”, targeting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in the hope of allowing them entry into Formula 1. In the past he was subject to racist abuse from so called “fans” of his rivals, about which the governing body stayed silent, an example of why the “We Race as One” message is just for show.

We might wonder whether, if not for Hamilton and his desire to bring a change and call others to do the same, would the FIA have brought about “We Race as One”?

Few drivers backed up Lewis Hamilton when he called them out to use their platforms to stand against racism at the height of the BLM. The “We Race as One” message is played on tv before the races, along with the gesture of taking the knee (to the displeasure of some fans and organisers), with some of the drivers kneeling and others standing, this can be perceived as a mixed message to fans. This scenario begs the question of whether this gesture is an obligation because they believe it is important to stand against something that had been considered “normal” in the sport or is it because it makes them look good?

The saying “Cash is king”, was notably first used by Lewis Hamilton in relation to F1 going ahead with the Australian GP in 2020 although there had been several cases of Covid in the F1 paddock. It is frequently used when talking about F1 because it is usually considered a sport for the wealthy and can be ruthless at times. But this saying should also be used when looking at where F1 races are held. Races take place in the Middle East, like Qatar and Saudi Arabia because large amounts of money can be made here. In 2020, F1 sealed a deal with Aramco, a Saudi state-owned oil company, an agreement a number of fans were not happy about. Human Rights Watch and Reprieve group brought up concerns about human rights issues in these countries and now, F1 bosses are under pressure because the criticism towards the state is a direct contradiction of F1’s inclusion and diversity commitment. The same concerns are voiced in terms of equality for women in these countries and how they are treated in society. But still, “we race as one”, right?

F1 brought racing to Hungary this year and much controversy circled the paddock when drivers such as Sebastian Vettel wore a “Same Love” t-shirt along with rainbow-coloured shoes, and Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll and Valtteri Bottas wore “We race as one” T-shirts during the national anthem to show support for the LGBTQ+ community and inclusivity in the sport but were reprimanded for “failure to follow the instructions of the relevant officials for the safe and orderly conduct of the Event.”

Baffled audiences may well have wondered: in what world does supporting important causes obstruct the safe conduct of the event?

Sebastian Vettel said he would rather be reprimanded for wearing a shirt that raises awareness, denounces injustice and fights for equality multiple times than stay silent on the matter, whatever the financial penalty.

The “We Race as One” message has lost its value in the world of Formula 1 when the young fans are the ones calling for action and support from the organisers, but they fear a bad relationship with a country’s ruler more than they care to stand up for those who can’t do it themselves. Many of the older fans call it “political” and “stupid”, saying drivers should stick to racing because they “don’t know what they are talking about”. When Formula 1 first brought the initiative into place, it received a mix response from fans: support from the young and displeasure from the older generation, mainly because they were not used to such issues being raised in the sport.

When certain drivers are given the opportunity to race in Formula 1 because of the amount of money they have and not because of their talent it seems unfair. It seems particularly unfair that a driver is mainly recognised for his negative controversial actions and suffers no consequences for these actions. His racist, sexist, and violent past is not ignored by the fans like the big bosses would like. Clearly money talks more than talent. Team bosses incite hateful comments towards their own drivers, ignore racism towards others, but “we race as one, right?”

The FIA needs to show a genuine desire towards inclusivity in Formula 1 and other motorsport categories, and not just because it will give them good press. We all know actions speak louder than words, so as much as “Cash is king”, F1 directors must eliminate contradicting decisions and statements, looking to forge a brighter and fairer future for the sport.

Note: As of February 8, 2022, F1 announce that the “We Race as One” pre-race ceremony will no longer take place. CEO Stefano Domenicali says F1 will move from “gestures to action”. Many F1 fans are, understandably, upset with this decision. With some saying there has been “no real impact or assessment shown yet from the initiatives implemented” (@onthechicane on Twitter) F1 will continue to face questions about their goal towards diversity and inclusivity.