9:29 – The lack of action to increase diversity in Formula 1 under Bernie Ecclestone’s rule “now makes perfect sense,” said Lewis Hamilton. That says the six-time world champion in response to the statements of the former F1 boss about racism.
Before Liberty Media took over F1 in 2017, Ecclestone was at the helm of the sport for forty years. Following the massive racism debate sparked worldwide by the death of George Floyd, F1 launched a new campaign earlier this month to make the sport more inclusive. Hamilton – the only black driver in F1 history – in turn contributed by launching his own committee to improve diversity in all areas of motorsport. Ecclestone joined Friday CNN in the discussion by complimenting Hamilton on his work, but also by expressing the expectation that the campaign “would do nothing good or bad for F1”. The 89-year-old also stated that “in many cases black people are more racist than white people”.
On Friday evening, F1 already distanced itself from Ecclestone’s statements and it also became clear that his title as honorary chairman has expired as of January 2020. Hamilton also responded to the matter. On Instagram Stories lashed out at the Mercedes driver at Ecclestone, and said he now understands why there was a lack of action to address diversity and racism throughout his F1 career, which started in 2007. “Bernie is no longer in the sport and is from a different generation, but this is exactly what is wrong – ignorant and uneducated statements that show how far we as a society must go before real equality can come,” wrote Hamilton.
“It now makes perfect sense to me that nothing has been said or done to make the sport more diverse, or to address the racism that I have dealt with throughout my career. As someone who has run the sport for decades, Having a lack of understanding of the deep-seated problems that we as black people have to deal with every day, how can we expect all the people working under him to understand? It starts at the top, “Hamilton concludes.
Hamilton faced racism early in his F1 career, most evident at the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix. Back then, he was mocked by fans with black-painted faces following his rivalry with Fernando Alonso at McLaren. The Brit referred to that incident when announcing his commission, saying that he had to “fight the stigma of racism during my racing career.” In the CNN interview, Ecclestone said he was ‘surprised’ that the incident was bothering Hamilton and that he thought it was of no concern to him.
Hamilton closed his post on Instagram by reiterating his recent statement that he wants to create long-term change in motorsport. “Now is the time for change. I will not stop fighting to create a more inclusive world for our sport with equal opportunities for all, to create a world that offers equal opportunities for minorities,” he wrote. “I will continue to use my voice to represent those who do not have a voice, to speak to those who are underrepresented and provide them with an opportunity to have a chance in our sport.”
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