Formula 1 confirmed earlier this week that it would remove from the schedule the movement that some drivers made by kneeling on the occasion of the fight against racism before the traffic light went out.
In the last two seasons, it was common to see the vast majority make this small gesture, although other athletes also did it in different sports. In 2022, Formula 1 will focus its efforts on moving from “gestures to actions”, as the CEO of the category, Stefano Domenicalli , commented, as part of the “We Race As One” campaign, as well as of the effort to improve diversity and inclusion.
Sebastian Vettel was one of the main advocates for Formula 1 to reserve some time for this ceremony before the races in 2020. And, on the day of the presentation of his new car, the Aston Martin AMR22 , the German assured that it was aware that the teams had been consulted on this decision.
“They’ve just changed. It’s been a bit surprising,” Vettel said. “I think the problems we’re addressing are not going to go away in two years, and so I was surprised.”
“I hope that as drivers we will find a way to get together and find a gap to continue doing the expressions that are important to us. Probably not everyone cares about this, but I think there are some who do care, and it will be great. be able to meet,” said the Aston Martin .
“It is becoming too strong and individual from the business side,” said the four-time champion.
Vettel has been one of the most active drivers when it comes to social issues, as he showed in Hungary by making a statement against the country’s anti-LGBT laws with a rainbow flag jersey on the grid.
Lando Norris expressed earlier this week that he was confident the drivers would still be able to discuss issues of high social relevance, even without having this time at pre-race ceremonies.
Formula 1 has chosen to extend its support for an engineering scholarship program until the end of 2025 , for students to continue their internships at universities in the UK and Italy. The category, however, will continue to broadcast a “We Race As One” video before the grands prix, and the brand will remain present throughout the 2022 season.
