70 years, 775 drivers and yet Lewis Hamilton stands as an exception. A world class driver, a six-time world champion and yet, the only black driver Formula 1 has ever had.
I’ve wanted to write a blog post about Lewis for the longest time and after yesterday’s race I thought this would be the perfect time to.
Lewis has always been a big inspiration for me and many others because of the things that he stands and fights for as well as the way that he conducts himself in and out of the sport.
The first thing that really caught my attention was his journey to F1. He often talks about how he got to where he is today and the sacrifices that his family made to allow him to chase his dream and become a 6 times world champion. Growing up in a black working-class family trying to get into the world of motorsport was always going to be difficult with not only the prejudices but also the fact that F1 and motorsports in general is a rich, white man’s sport. So being a black, working class kid will always be an issue. All throughout his career he has faced racism, not just from haters or the media but from his own fans.
Fast forward to 2020 and it seems that there is still a racial bias and problem within the F1 world. From a video surfacing of Carlos being racist in China to several drivers not taking the knee at the start of the Austrian GP it really does show that more work needs to be done to make F1 the inclusive and diverse sport that it is trying to be.
Just before the start of the season, F1 released a campaign called ‘We Race as One’. This is
being used to show that F1 is taking a stand against racism and will be showing their support in the fight against racism and to become more diverse and inclusive. The rainbow symbol will be used throughout the season to show support and many teams have incorporated it onto their liveries and team wear which shows a pinch of hope that these teams are really trying to help fight this issue. F1 itself have also announced new pledges and have set up a task force that will listen to ideas and opinions from across the paddock to help improve that diversity within Formula 1 at every level, meaning drivers, background staff and teams.
I agree that more does need to be done to ensure that this sport is diverse and inclusive and this idea as We Race as One is great, however, I just hope that it really does take off instead
of it being another piece of performative activism, like many other gestures have become. One of my main issues after this weekend is the fact that only 14 drivers took a stand against racism before the race by taking the knee. I understand that this is quite a controversial topic (which I don’t understand why standing against racism is controversial but there we go) but if we are all ‘racing as one’ surely if one person does it the collective should. I’ve seen many arguments as to why certain drivers didn’t do it for this reason and that reason, but in my opinion silence is the side of the oppressor and by not saying anything or doing anything to stand up against the racial inequalities in this world you are on that side. I’m not saying that because they didn’t kneel that they are racist, and everyone has their own opinions but not saying anything is just as bad. Saying that you ‘don’t believe in gestures’ although you have performed many gestures before doesn’t sit right with me.
One amazing positive from this campaign, however, is Mercedes really getting behind Lewis
and allowing him to express how he feels and help them create these opportunities to
become more diverse. By changing their 2020 livery to black and including the hashtag ‘end
racism’ on their halo it really does show that they are behind Lewis and want to continue to support him and the Black Lives Matter movement throughout the year and then beyond. Not only did they
change these aspects but they also bringing in a programme which will allow the hiring of more diverse and inclusive staff because currently only 3% of their staff are of ethnic backgrounds! This really is a team that is behind the movement and are backing Lewis 100%. I will leave this post with a quote from Toto and Mercedes:
"Racism and discrimination have no place in our society, our sport or our team: this is a core belief at Mercedes. But having the right beliefs and the right mindset isn’t enough if we remain silent."
Be nice, be kind and remember that there is no place for hate!
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