Ahead of Sunday’s race, F1 issued a statement condemning “unacceptable” behavior after some fans reported cases of sexual, racist and homophobic harassment by other spectators during the Austrian GP weekend. .
F1 has taken action by putting more security personnel in the fan zones for Sunday’s race at the Red Bull Ring, and will speak to promoters about the incidents.
Hamilton called the behavior “disgusting”, leading F1’s general condemnation. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen called such reports “shocking” while Sebastian Vettel urged F1 to ban those responsible for the abuses from racing for life.
Following the race, Lewis Hamilton was asked about steps drivers and F1 could take to help eradicate these issues, such as through working with the We Race As One campaign that F1 launched in 2020.
The Mercedes driver believes the drive for change goes beyond messaging and needs those in motorsport “to commit more to diversity and inclusion”.
“That reflects the direction we’re going and also often reflects what our fan base is like,” Hamilton said.
“It’s time to act. We Race as One was great, but it was just talk. Nothing was actually done. There was no funding at all, no program that really created change and sparked that conversation.”
“So we definitely have to use our platforms. But we have to step up and start putting some of the things that we say into practice. It’s not enough to just say words.”
“It’s unacceptable. It’s not enough.”
Hamilton underscored the need for F1 to take more action the week after a racist comment by three-time world champion Nelson Piquet came to light.
In his quest to help change F1 by improving diversity and inclusion, Hamilton has committed more than £20m (over €23m) to his Mission 44 scheme, as well as creating the charity Ignite with Mercedes to award grants to underrepresented groups within the industry.
F1 itself launched We Race As One in 2020, focusing on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and inequality, amid anti-racist activism around the world.
F1 has revised the campaign for this year, shifting the focus to three key pillars: sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and community. The category also funds a number of scholarships for university students, offering them a pathway to jobs in the automotive industry.
