Formula 1 condemns words of Bernie Ecclestone who believes that “blacks are more racist than whites”

Asked about the problems of racism and the recent actions taken by F1 to diversify the sport, Bernie Ecclestone, now 89, made remarks that jumped the proceedings. “In many cases, black people are more racist than white people,” the former F1 boss explained to CNN Sports.

Faced with these remarks, which come at a time when a global movement against racism and inequality has spread for several weeks, Formula 1 wanted to dissociate itself from it. “At a time when unity is necessary to fight racism and inequality, we totally disagree with comments by Bernie Ecclestone which have no place in Formula 1 or society “, explains a press release. F1 also recalls that “Mr. Ecclestone has not played a role in Formula 1 since he left our organization in 2017, his title as President Emeritus, Honorary having expired, in January 2020.”

“Stupid to remove statues”

In the same interview, the British businessman also mentioned the Black Lives Matter movement and the statues removed from certain characters embodying a past evoking in particular colonization and slavery. “I think it’s completely stupid to remove all these statues. They should have left them there. Take the kids to look and study why they are there and what people have done and how bad it is. was wrong what they did “, he said.

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F1: Lewis Hamilton protests in London against racism

In addition Ecclestone said he was surprised by the declarations of the six-time champion Lewis Hamilton which recounted racial abuses suffered during his career, especially when spectators had made up in black during the Spanish GP in 2008. “During my whole career, I fought against racism, things were thrown at me when I was karting, fans blackened my face at one of my first Grands Prix, when I started in F1 in 2007 “, Hamilton had revealed to Sunday Times. “I am surprised that it concerns him. I am really unhappy that he took it seriously. I did not think that it concerned him”, launched Ecclestone.

Lewis Hamilton who qualified F1 from “white dominated sport” when launching the #WeRaceAsOnea initiative, has always been very active in the fight against racism, and even more since the murder of George Floyd who “triggered a feeling of deep pain, anguish and frustration”. Formula 1 announced details of a new task force and a new foundation on Thursday to increase diversity and inclusion. The current President and CEO of Formula 1, Chase Carey, said it had brought in $ 1 million (nearly € 900 million) to finance the initial start-up of this foundation.

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