'We Race as One', but we watch as one too
Shocking reports of sexist and homophobic behaviour by fans at last week’s Formula One (F1) Austrian Grand Prix has caused many within the sport to speak out against the worrying developments.
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| Credit: The-Mia.com |
F1’s governing body, called the incidents 'completely unacceptable', which allegedly included verbal and physical abuse directed towards women, and abuse aimed at those supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Many of the sport’s drivers used press conferences post-race to speak out. Among those, Lewis Hamilton highlighted how it is 'still an issue all over, it comes down to education, and, of course, ignorance.' Sebastian Vettel, a famed champion of equality, called for those involved to be banned from motorsport for life.
However, the events at the Grand Prix are a continuation of
a long line of discrimination in motorsport as a whole, putting minorities off
of getting into the sport in fear of abuse. During the Black Lives Matter movement,
F1 committed to spreading their message of 'We Race as One', highlighting their
inclusivity of anyone regardless of gender, race, or sexuality.
Quite simply, people should not be made to feel
uncomfortable at a sporting event. The general view is one that F1, and
motorsport on the whole, has been male dominated since its inception. Women have
had some representation in F1, with five female drivers having entered a Grand
Prix since 1950 - only two ever qualified for the race itself. No woman has
attempted to enter an F1 race since Giovanna Amati in 1992. Even this season, only
38% of total employees in F1 are women. However, steps are being made for women
to return to the sport, with multiple teams signing on female drivers as
development and test drivers. In history, only one known F1 driver has been
part of the LGBTQ+ community; Mike Beuttler who competed between 1971-73.
Further advancements have been made towards gender equality in
the sport with the introduction of the W Series to the motorsport calendar. The
series is competed solely by women and was set up to give a platform to aspiring
drivers to further their career to a wider audience. Since 2021, the series has
been part of F1’s support race brigade. Crucially, drivers do not need
lucrative sponsorship deals to enter the championship, initially being free to
enter. The series now has widespread coverage as part of the F1 weekend; this
being on Sky Sports F1 and Channel 4 in the UK.
Upon announcement of the series being created, some within
the sport criticised it for segregating genders, rather than encouraging inclusion
in established series. Among these was the influential Claire Williams, who at the
time was running the Williams F1 Team. That being said, getting as many women
racing drivers into the mainstream is a positive for the sport. Talented
drivers who could compete at the highest level such as Jamie Chadwick, Emma
Kimilainen and Alice Powell are now recognisable names for even causal
motorsport fans which can’t be understated as a massive step for equality in
the sport.
Despite the progress made on the track, off it there has to be harsher punishments for those guilty of discriminatory behaviour at events. Just because it has happened at such a high profile event like the Austrian Grand Prix, does not mean it has not happened across the globe at local and national events as well. In the near future, there will be women and LGBTQ+ drivers in F1; something not even fathomable just a few years ago. It is up to the rest of us to include anyone of any community into the sport, whether that is on the track, or in the stands.