Racism: Formula 1 Chief Reacts To Lewis Hamilton's Comments

 

Formula One (F1's) Managing Director of motorsports and technical director, Ross Brawn says he is fully behind Lewis Hamilton after his comments on racism.

AllNews reports that in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in the United States, Hamilton, F1's six-time champion and the grid's only black driver, has long posted passionately on social media speaking out against racism and calling for greater equality in the sport.

 

... and don't you forget it. ???? #BlackLivesMatter #EndRacism pic.twitter.com/nBAp0nwo6g

— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) June 8, 2020

The 35-year-old's message calling on the F1 community to speak out prompted several drivers and the sport itself to issue anti-racism messages.

Now Brawn says F1 was fully behind its leading driver.

"Lewis is a great ambassador for the sport and his comments are very valid," said Brawn on The F1 Show.

"We support him completely."

According to the Formula 1 stakeholder, F1 was aware it needed to improve diversity across the sport and said creating greater opportunities at grassroots level - for young drivers, engineers and other potential roles - was at the heart of the required change.

"We are F1 have recognised for a few years now that we want to strengthen our diversity and our diversity programme. Both internally as a company, and externally, we started work on this a few years ago," explained Brawn.

"Our thoughts were that the reasons why we don't have more diversity in Formula 1 it starts at the very beginning. It starts at grassroots level. It even starts in the schools with the STEM topics - science, technology, engineering and maths. How can we be involved in that?

"We have been involved in Formula 1 in Schools. We've always supported it but we have gotten far more involved in the last year or two and that has a very strong diversity in terms of the kids that get involved. Forty per cent of the kids that get involved in Formula 1 in Schools are girls, so that's a good start. And it's an international competition, so we get competitors from all groups.

"We're looking very strongly at how we can support grassroots racing level. I've spent the last weeks and months working with a group to look how we can have a really, really basic karting initiative to get kids involved in karting at a very early stage.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: Formula 1 Confirms When 2020 Season Will Restart

Brawn added: The fact is Formula 1 is a very strong meritocracy, it should always be that way. It should always be the best who win - and we can't force that. But we can give greater opportunity to minority and ethnic groups to get involved in motorsport. Not just driving, but engineering and other activities. That's where we are with Formula 1.

"We support totally what Lewis has said. What happened was dreadful, it happens far too often, and I think we have seen the public reaction to it. It's almost the straw that broke the camel's back, and we support him totally."