Formula 1’s ‘We Race As One’ ceremony, which has been a regular part of its pre-race build-up over the past two years, will not continue in 2022.
The series’ CEO Stefano Domenicali said it intends to focus on action rather than gestures to advance diversity and other causes represented by ‘We Race As One’.The initiative was launched ahead of the first race of 2020, which was delayed due to the outbreak of Covid-19. It was prompted in part by the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement in response to the death of George Floyd in America.
F1 will continue to air a ‘We Race As One’ video involving all 20 drivers prior to this year’s races. However the pre-race ‘grid moment’, which was previously used by drivers as an opportunity to perform gestures of solidarity such as taking a knee, will not continue. They will still be allowed to perform such gestures at other times.
The pre-race performance of the host country’s national anthem, which was introduced in 2014, will remain.
RaceFans understand Mercedes have been notified of the planned changes. The team’s driver Lewis Hamilton has repeatedly urged F1 to encourage greater diversity and formed his own commission to investigate the issue.
After confirming the changes to ‘We Race As One’ for 2022, Domenicali told Sky that F1 needed to change “gesture to action”.
“We needed to make sure that what we did was important to show the intention of Formula 1 in things that were really important for the world,” he explained. “Now the action is the focus on the diversity of our community, and this is the first step.”
Last year F1 launched its Engineering Scholarships programme which funded places for 10 students to study engineering degrees at top universities in the UK and Italy. Today it announced an extension to the funding which will keep the diversity programme running until at least 2025.
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Jelle van der Meer (@)
8th February 2022, 12:43
Good that they will stop that – has little to do with F1.
If a driver wants to do it or something else he should have the freedom to do so (like Vettel did in Hungary) but to include it in the official planning of every race and make it semi mandatory for all drivers is not a good thing.
JackL
8th February 2022, 13:32
Such a comment is unsurprising. How does it have little to do with F1? F1 goes racing in countries that have issues. Drivers and F1 personnel can use their platform to shed light on these issues. Give voice to the voiceless. Support those who need it most. Are they supposed to put their blinders on and ignore it? Walk into a country with concentration camps, race for two hours and walk out? Is that seriously what you’re suggesting? A sport should have values, because its made up of people, who have values. And it should stand for those.
It literally takes nothing away from you when they do it. But it speaks to the kind of privilege that you (and others like) have enjoyed your whole life that just because it gets in the way of your entertainment, its an issue.
Radha Pillay
8th February 2022, 13:43
What a brilliant response Jackl. Thank you.
Gubstar
8th February 2022, 13:56
Unfortunately F1 doesnt have any values as it doesnt care where the money comes from…..as long as it keeps coming in. This has always been the way of F1. And it is the same for nearly EVERY mainstream popular sport on the planet. Which is why sport and politics should never mix.
erikje
8th February 2022, 14:15
Part of “the issue” is the amount of Hypocrisy surrounding it.
Kneeling in a country where torture is a normal police interrogation method seems a bit naive to say the least.
ajaya
8th February 2022, 17:02
How about we keep sports as just that, sports…. does politics (Right and Left) and woke BS enter into everything?
Domenicali clearly mentioned… they are moving into action phase.. and people are still not satisfied..
if LH wants to kneel in protest no one is stopping him.. but don’t make others do it if they don’t want to (not to mean they don’t care).
Tommy C (@tommy-c)
8th February 2022, 19:00
As much as people would like to, there’s just no separating sport from politics. I know, it sucks, but they’ll always be intertwined.
drmouse (@drmouse)
8th February 2022, 23:18
I wouldn’t mind them stopping this if they stopped the other political bits, like the nationalistic, divisive bull of playing the national anthem at each even or playing national anthems of each driver and team when they win.
Seriously, a protest against division and discrimination is political, but playing “my country is better than yours” songs isn’t?
RatSack
8th February 2022, 22:59
I would argue that if it’s mandatory to participate it doesn’t mean anything. All for drivers doing their own thing to support though.
Mioki (@okif1)
8th February 2022, 23:25
We already have black, Hispanic and Asian drivers showing that we all race together. Maybe the pending subject is adding female drivers in F1.
Aapje (@aapje)
9th February 2022, 17:20
@JackL
A sport doesn’t have values, only people and organizations do.
They do that anyway and will in the future, because China is too rich and powerful not to. And the fans will watch too, rather than boycot, showing their real values in the process.
All of these principles that people claim to have are mostly fake, anyway.
petebaldwin (@)
8th February 2022, 14:11
Yeah I don’t agree that it has nothing to do with F1 as Jack explained but I agree with the 2nd part. Drivers doing their own thing on the grid will get a lot more coverage and interest than marching them all up to the front and telling them to “do your anti-racism thing now.”
It becomes more of a PR thing for F1 if everything is mandatory and controlled.
Aapje (@aapje)
9th February 2022, 17:21
@petebaldwin
And even an totalitarian demand, that people will conform to out of fear, rather than conviction.
Judge Dredd
8th February 2022, 17:29
One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward. That should be the policy, right?
Mr Squiggle
8th February 2022, 22:32
The continuation of the pre-race ‘We race as one’ package seems like a good compromise which will keep the message alive. But I’m pleased the kneeling section is finishing
the issue was never whether we wanted to end racism, it was the demand that everyone should kneel.
The implication has been that if you didn’t kneel, you were somehow racist and privileged. It sill pops up in some the comments ‘below
DrG (@drgraham)
9th February 2022, 8:05
I truly do not understand commentary such as ‘forcing everyone to kneel’
Literally at no time has anyone been forced to kneel. It was a choice and many did and some did not. It’s frankly ridiculous how much controversy this minor act of solidarity has created. If nothing else it has certainly shown just where people really stand on this matter.
And how does a F1 promotional programme, on an area other sports have highlighted and still a major issue within the owners own country, suddenly, once again, get dragged back to being Hamilton’s fault.
I never understood the angst when many years ago he paraphrased Ali G!
Strikes me he was spot on.
Mr Squiggle
10th February 2022, 1:27
most images of the f1 knee ceremony consistently show 7-10 drivers who did not ‘take the knee’.
There was no solidarity”about kneeling. but all drivers were happy to wear t-shirts that said énd racism’
the question over kneeling has always been separate from the campaign to end racism.
I still think keeping the pre-race broadcast package is a good compromise
Mayrton
9th February 2022, 7:30
Totally agree. Good call to get rid of this. Let’s focus on racing.
DrG (@drgraham)
9th February 2022, 8:07
Yeh right.
That went well last year, particularly the last lap of Abu Dhabi.
Racing it was not.
Asanator (@asanator)
9th February 2022, 14:09
@drgraham Racing it most certainly was! Some have a problem with there being a race to the flag on the grounds of technicalities, but it was definitely a race.
DrG (@drgraham)
11th February 2022, 9:29
If your idea of racing is fundamentally unfair and a manufactured show then I am sure you were right at home for the last few laps…
If however, you mean racing within a prescribed set of regulations as was happening in all earlier laps then I am not sure what you watched.
Unless of course the sight of MV being handed his backside in a fair motor race was too much for you and you did not see that part.
Kyle S
8th February 2022, 12:51
We stand up for equality and race as one… in Azerbaijan, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Join us, won’t you?
JackL
8th February 2022, 13:24
What about China, the US, Canada and Hungary?
GeeMac (@geemac)
8th February 2022, 13:39
Indeed…
Bruno Verrari
8th February 2022, 14:03
H U N G A R Y??? They traded and held no slaves…
But what about the UK, Lewis’ main reference to his own issues?!
IKnowRight
8th February 2022, 19:45
Indeed. Many “white” countries were never involved in slave trade. In my country (Serbia) the constitution dictated than anyone who enters the country automatically becomes a free man, no matter where he’s from. In fact, we were enslaved by the Ottoman empire (the same eventually happened in Hungary). Not all bad things happened in the east, this thing with racism and centuries of slavery belong to you folks. You made us bad guys for so many things, but don’t involve us in this madness. Orban? Maybe a dictator, but that’s not something F1 is supposed to be dealing with. After all, comparing that to S. Arabia is insane.
Asanator (@asanator)
9th February 2022, 14:17
It’s not about slave trading though is it? It’s about F1 being more inclusive. Some drivers have used the platform to highlight current human rights abuses. I’m currently more worried about the fate of the Bosnians than I am about slave trading.
Kyle S
8th February 2022, 20:22
Wasn’t meant to be exclusive list, rather a take on the hypocrisy.
P.S. they don’t race in China anymore
Aapje (@aapje)
9th February 2022, 17:31
@Kyle S
Only due to Covid. F1 extended the contract with China to 2025, so they intend to race there if they can.
Josh (@canadianjosh)
8th February 2022, 23:43
Jack L, LOL…….you missed Russia, Mexico, Brazil, oh don’t forget the Italian mafia in Italy blah blah blah. The only clean country in the world in terms of being perfect doesn’t exist. Canada in your list made me laugh though. You must read Al Jazeera.
Josh (@canadianjosh)
9th February 2022, 1:04
Jack L, you forgot Germany as well, if memory serves me right they had a bit of a conflict in the 1940’s.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
8th February 2022, 12:59
So the ridiculous, sportswashing, performative nationalist act is kept, but the genuine, heartfelt act of solidarity is dropped? Go figure.
Kyle S
8th February 2022, 13:12
Heartfelt?
David BR (@david-br)
8th February 2022, 13:32
@hahostolze +1
I think the gesture of solidarity should have run its course by now – in the sense that, you’d hope, Formula 1 itself has taken on its message and the teams, FIA etc. would have introduced diversity programs and the like to improve access at all levels. Clearly those changes can only be medium term. But it’s difficult to believe the nationalist nonsense was introduced only in 2014?! That should be dumped.
Jack (@jackisthestig)
8th February 2022, 18:41
I can’t say it ever looked very heartfelt, most of them looked very awkward.
All the other drivers had no interest in the subject until Hamiltion’s “I see you” dog whistle smear against them. In the world we live today that they had to respond to that in the most visible way possible, hence this ridiculous spectacle of a kneeling down ceremony where half of the drivers stayed standing, all in the name of solidarity.
The two loudest voices branching off into activism are Hamilton and Vettel, both very close to the end of their careers and looking for something else to do, somewhere else to be relevant when they retire from driving. It’s all disingenuous nonsense and I’m glad the ceremonial aspect of it has gone (until the next great social ill we have to be seen to take a stance on)
Mark (@surfermark)
9th February 2022, 9:29
Spot on
amian
8th February 2022, 20:06
“So the ridiculous, sportswashing, performative nationalist act is kept,”
– A national anthem represents the host country, its people and its cultural heritage. You find that ridiculous???
National anthems are not nationalist, they are national. Performing them is a sign of respect and appreciation for the host nation. You sound like a anarchistic hippy straight from the 1960s ;)
Whereas what you call a “heartfelt act of solidarity” is nothing but a demonstration of self-righteous and hypocrisy. Also, Hamilton uses it to promote the terrorist group called “Black lives matter”, which is scandalous that he’s allowed to do so.
Sihrtogg (@sihrtogg)
9th February 2022, 3:16
The problem is that many of the host nations deserve absolutely no respect…
But one could argue that instead of not playing an anthem, no F1 races ought to be held there at all.
Or Olympic Games or Football World Championships for that matter.
Parte
9th February 2022, 10:16
Clearly u don’t know what your are talking about. First of all BLM is not a terrorist group even though u want it to be classified as such. Raising awareness about rights of people diversity inclusiveness etc will always be around. Once you have influence using it in a positive way is fine by me . Nobody was forced to kneel.Its still done in the premiership but u can choose no to. The fact that changes are being made shows there have been an impact. Why are the FIA etc running diversity programs?.
Jere (@jerejj)
8th February 2022, 13:01
Finally, albeit I never massively cared anyway.
Adrian Hancox (@ahxshades)
8th February 2022, 16:15
Same here @jerejj – makes no odds to me what they do pre-race, I tend to settle to watch as the formation lap starts anyway so they could take a knee, hop like a bunny or make their point through through the medium of dance for all I would have noticed or cared.
DrG (@drgraham)
9th February 2022, 8:17
Neither do I, but I am amazed at the sheer animosity towards something quite minor within the weekend it has engendered here in the comments.
I mean we are supposed to believe Hamilton and Vettel are only speaking out because they are reaching their sell by date and need something to be relevant later on?
I mean really?
Mostly they are criticised in these very pages for having too many other external interests and not showing the slavish level of devotion to the sport 24/7 demanded of them.
More they are the only drivers not terrified of being reprimanded or sanctioned by their teams or the FIA!
Aapje (@aapje)
9th February 2022, 17:40
@drgraham
No, both just have fully drank the kool-aid. Every ideology has it’s adherents that don’t notice all the problems with the ideology, probably because they have their reasons to not want to notice.
Ruben
8th February 2022, 13:05
…aaand Lewis Hamilton is off social media again.
Joking aside: more involvement of the likes of Aramco and less standing up for equality, a sad moment. Way to go, F1…
I hope Michael Masi will use his absolute power to do something about it.
ian dearing
8th February 2022, 15:42
Probably not, as he said in March 2021 that it is now time to move from gestures to action. IIRC this all came about in the first place when he indicated he would be taking action before the race; probably standing alongside his car, and he would in no way let it interfere with the pre race ceremonies. Wasn’t it the FIA, F1 and the GPDA who put this thing together?
F1 frog (@f1frog)
8th February 2022, 13:27
As long as Formula 1 continues to race in Saudi Arabia, the entire concept of ‘we race as one’ is an empty gesture. So this is effectively a change from claiming to care about human rights and racism but actually ignoring all that as soon as someone offers a bit of cash, to not even bothering to pretend. I’m not sure if this is worse, because at least the ceremony may have some kind of meaning to people who don’t know the full story. And keeping the meaningless and nonsensical video is not sufficient; if anything that should go.
Of course, I will take all this back if Domenicali actually follows up on his claim that actions will be taken instead of gestures, but I don’t see that happening any time soon.
JackL
8th February 2022, 13:37
Its interesting that when people comment on countries with issues, they only pick colored or Muslim countries. No one comments on F1 going racing in China, Russia, Hungary, Texas, or Canada or other places. Even media coverage, including this site, does this. There are entire articles dedicated to human rights when F1 went to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, but none when it went to China, Russia or Hungary. Apparently when white or powerful people do it, its fine.
GeeMac (@geemac)
8th February 2022, 13:44
Well said (other than your fourteenth word…).
The BLM movement originated in the USA and was widely supported in the UK in order to highlight institutional racism which exists in counties which make themselves out to be the great bastions of freedom. And yet, when Austin and Silverstone come round no one cries about human rights and civil liberties. Strange.
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
8th February 2022, 21:49
What human rights and civil liberties issues in the US are you referring to. You can’t in any imaginable way compare a liberal western democracy to China, Russian, Hungary or Saudia Arabia.
GeeMac (@geemac)
9th February 2022, 4:22
@darryn So the police treatment of African Americans is ok in a liberal western democracy? Is institutional racism ok? A history of colonial oppression and imperialism? People in glass houses mate.
BasCB (@bascb)
9th February 2022, 7:31
Off course that is not ok @geemac. But you know that there is a huge difference. In the USA the people who protest this and petition for change can live on, while in countries like Russia, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, China and yeah, many many others on the calendar, one would risk incarceration, torture and even losing your life for that. Not to mention that current issues are not wholly the same as issues from the past.
Sure, ask for accountability. Show how it is hypocritical to protest only some and not other human rights issues. But don’t act like all of those are at a similar level, especially when you are wise and educated enough to know better.
GeeMac (@geemac)
9th February 2022, 8:07
@bascb We’ve both commented on this blog for a long time, so I respect your opinion. I do however, respectfully disagree. Here is why:
All I’m saying is that it is hypocritical of the fans of this sport (who are by and large men, Caucasian and Western European) to cry foul when we visit the Middle East, China and Russia while staying merrily silent on civil rights, human rights and humanitarian issues affecting people in Europe and North America when we visit those countries.
I live in the Middle East, I grew up in Africa. These places are not perfect, but nor do they claim to be. I wish people in Europe and the US would take their blinkers off and acknowledge that neither are they. No country’s hands are clean. Angry about the Saudi war in Yemen? Why is no anger directed at US and UK arms companies who are profiting off of the conflict by supplying arms to the Saudi military? Angry about the treatment of Uighurs in China? Speak to any of your Muslim friends in Europe and the US and ask them about the intolerance they experience on a daily basis.
No one is perfect, but the constant wave of criticism directed at the venues we visit in the Middle East in particular is growing tiresome.
BasCB (@bascb)
9th February 2022, 10:22
Sorry, but the situation that Muslims face in China (concentration camps) is really of a wholly different scale compared to the discrimination they only too often face in Europe @geemac – to name an example. And the risks of adressing government failures in say Germany, or indeed the USA as a journalist are really of a different scope than would any journalist (or even a sport star) do so in Saudi Arabia, Russia or China.
And while many people I know here are angry (your “where is the anger” argument) at our own governments for failing to prevent, for starting, fuelling and supporting wars and oppression often indeed using weapons our arms producers earn huge amounts of money with, at the same time, that does not in any way take away responsibility for countries like Saudi Arabia for the war in Yemen and violent oppression at home. Nor for Russia fuelling violence in the Donbas, in South Ossetia, for occupying Krimea, for killing political opponents at home and abroad etc.
The only reason we saw ANY progress in Saudi Arabia on womens’ rights was explicitly BECAUSE there were loud voices criticizing the regime. That is the reason why it is necessary to criticize these regimes from the outside. At the same time, naturally, we need to keep our eyes on the ever present danger of our own governments trying to get away with things, so we definitely need to support a free press to keep highlighting any and all such issues.
MB
9th February 2022, 15:59
@geemac
My god what a stupid misrepresentative comment. Such toxicity is part for the course on this godforsaken site.
Aapje (@aapje)
9th February 2022, 17:50
@geemac
The Houthis are actually a pretty extremist Islamist group. In the west, we tend to apply a black/white view to conflict, seeing one side as the devil and the other as saints. However, if the Houthis win the civil war, we won’t see a paradise, but at best, an oppressive state like Iran (who not coincidentally, supports the Houthis).
Aapje (@aapje)
9th February 2022, 17:53
@Geemac
Perhaps for fun, you should look up the Houthi slogan on wikipedia. Let’s just say that it is a little extremist.
GeeMac (@geemac)
10th February 2022, 4:50
@aapje I’m living in range of their missiles, the government of the country I live in is intercepting them daily to keep us civilians safe, I know what they are about boss and my comments should in no way be interpreted as being in support of them.
DrG (@drgraham)
9th February 2022, 8:26
@geemac
Absolutely agree. Our backgrounds are similar and it just amazes me how many seemingly sensible F1 fans castigate Middle Eastern countries without having the slightest idea of the internal workings or structures of such.
A visit to Dubai or Bahrain really does not count.
Given you have been unable to visit most of the countries generally criticised unless employed there and that a number of said countries have only recently started tourist visas (Oman for example) I simply cannot see how you blanket a entire continent as ‘bad’ while another with hundreds of years of exploitation of said continent is ‘good’ until you have at least lived in them.
GeeMac (@geemac)
9th February 2022, 9:02
Indeed, glad I’m not the only one who feels this way @drgraham.
A small digression: Readers of Racefans – Oman is a gem of a place to visit by the way. By far the highlight of any trip to the GCC. Get over there sharpish.
DrG (@drgraham)
11th February 2022, 9:39
Lived and worked in Oman as a Chief Examiner between 94 -2004 and again 2008.
Stunning change over that period and the late Sultan was a true visionary only opening to tourist visas when he felt it right for the country.
The first to use his admittedly limited oil wealth to improve across the board and not just line pockets. Lots of problems along the way. Lots of interesting history behind the how and why but you cannot blanket all ME as the same.
Holiday wise %- North Muscat etc v hot desert like as you would expect but Salazar in the south 1000m) is tropical and grows bananas! Incredibly diverse country with best beaches I have seen anywhere in the world.
DrG (@drgraham)
11th February 2022, 9:40
@geemac
Salalah not Salazar!
Louie
8th February 2022, 14:04
What is it about racing in Canada that concerns you?
The Dolphins
8th February 2022, 14:29
Perhaps the news of mass graves of children being discovered near former residential schools.
nandy
9th February 2022, 8:24
Their dictator, soon to be run out of the country, ‘leader’?
Tifoso1989 (@tifoso1989)
8th February 2022, 15:59
+1. Absolutely, people seems to forget for example that a “democratic” country like the United States – where Nancy Pelosi is forever running for re-election – can trigger war and eventually kill millions of people for a single petrol pipeline.
Bruno Verrari
8th February 2022, 16:29
H U N G A R Y??? They traded and held no slaves…
But what about the UK, Lewis’ main reference during his (earlier) life?!
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
8th February 2022, 21:46
So no improvement is allowed? Hungary is a dictatorship and the UK doesn’t have slavery anymore. What a stupid thought on your part.
drmouse (@drmouse)
8th February 2022, 23:25
The UK doesn’t have slavery anymore, but most of the families who made fortunes from slavery still have massive privileges from it. Also, it is only quite recently that the UK government (i.e. the UK taxpayer) stopped paying compensation to those who lost money from the ban on slavery…
DrG (@drgraham)
9th February 2022, 8:28
@drmouse
Actually slavery within the UK is alive and doing very well thank you.
It may be legal but it’s currently the fastest growing criminal activity here.
Stash (@stash)
8th February 2022, 16:51
I know plenty of people that have commented about countries other than Muslim or coloured ones that have issues. Have you never heard of people complaining about the gun issue in the United States from outside the country? Are you an absolutist? What you are saying here is absolutely incorrect. Chinese are white now? Please check what you are trying to communicate is actually true before you make ridiculous comments. Your privilege for spreading misinformation shows.
Aapje (@aapje)
9th February 2022, 18:05
@stash
In wokism, Asians are often treated as part of the privileged group, on par with whites. Asians provide a real conundrum for that ideology, as their success ought to be impossible according to the tenets of the ideology.
Sonny Crockett (@sonnycrockett)
8th February 2022, 13:34
Whilst I’ve always agreed with the sentiment, it felt a bit awkward and staged.
Let’s see whether Domenicali is good to his word.
BasCB (@bascb)
9th February 2022, 7:33
Yeah, it already felt like they were giving it less and less attention, drivers were certainly not “one” on how they felt about this so it’s probably for the better to stop the thing @sonnyrocket.
Wholly agree that we now need to see what “action” they will really take.
Spencer (@spencer)
8th February 2022, 14:35
Why is it incumbent upon Formula 1 to carry on with a gesture, which most if not all major sports globally have abandoned? Why not take a breath and identify if the changes brought forth are actually working? Then assess and re-implement. The kneeling brought attention. Now it’s time to do the work. Move on, stop flailing in self righteous theater.
SteveyBoy
8th February 2022, 15:59
The biggest game on the planet, The English Premier League does it still, in every game. But yeh lets move on because you think its self righteous
Spencer (@spencer)
9th February 2022, 2:10
Note the word “most” was used as a qualifier. F1 have moved on because it’s not engendering enough good will to be a PR story or a medium/long profit center. My opinions more than likely play no part in their decision but thank you for the vote of confidence!
DrG (@drgraham)
9th February 2022, 8:45
Yep move on and do the work.
That’s the important bit. Serious stuff. Dominicalli said so. Big important things.
And…
The truly enormously wealthy organisation employing hundreds (of thousands if you include the teams) known as F1 managed to spare just enough cash to fund 10, yes 10 whole apprenticeship/scholarships
I mean that’s just amazingly serious action when you compare it to the millions that say Mercedes and Hamilton have put up to fund a couple of hundred initially. Or even the green shoot Aston academy? Hell even RB have got a few dozen.
Go outside of F1, BAE, fund dozens of such programmes in the UK. They built an Electronics Institute in Saudi Arabia (£28m) and funded a few hundred from school leaving to degree level there. I know because I designed and used to manage that very institute and I designed much of the curriculum that associated with Notts and Loughborough universities. This is just one tiny anecdote out of thousands frankly.
Back to F1
But no, let’s clap hands, vanish the only thing that at its very least is visible and clearly is very emotive and applaud their outstanding and stunning efforts at diversity by extending the funding for 10 (yep, count them, it’s real a whole 10) whole apprenticeships!
drmouse (@drmouse)
9th February 2022, 16:34
Have all the upvotes, @drgraham!
Corsair
9th February 2022, 20:50
Comment of the day right here.
Nailed it.
Leroy (@g-funk)
8th February 2022, 14:57
I agree that action should replace gestures at some point. That is the very point of the gestures: to highlight problems so that action can take place on them. But I think F1’s actions to date have been woefully short of adequately addressing the problem from their end. A scholarship program is great. But I would say it is hardly sufficient at addressing the diversity problem in F1/motorsport.
And that was the main problem with We Race as One. It had no real defined goals other than to highlight myriad problems identified by F1 drivers. How could F1 or the drivers themselves determine when they had been successful at addressing the problem? And from the F1-management perspective, it only served to highlight the hypocrisy of their own actions in choosing to support regimes antithetical to the ideas captured in We Race as One.
It was a nice thought to be able to allow drivers to highlight problem areas that they thought should be addressed, but it was poorly executed and was increasingly embarrassing for F1 as F1 leadership made clear that money is their most important value. So it’s not that surprising that it will be removed.
Aapje (@aapje)
9th February 2022, 18:11
@g-funk
The issue is that ideologies that are based on lies tend to fall on their face if they try to address the problems in a way that their ideology says should work. So adherents of such ideologies tend to quickly learn to not make any promises, so it is less obvious that their ideology is wrong, when another one of their solutions fails to work.
Roger Ayles (@roger-ayles)
8th February 2022, 16:06
I agree with the message but I never used to pay attention to that bit of the pre race build up.
I’d watch Brundle’s grid walk & then when all that stuff started i’d just go make a snack or something as it just always looked forced, awkward & ingenuine somehow even though i’m sure many of the drivers believe in the message.
To me actions are more important than gestures & like many parts of society there actions often don’t match there words or these gestures.
Bob
8th February 2022, 16:42
As CEO Stefano Domenicali states, “action rather than gestures.” Were the “numbers” run to see what effect the Race as One program had in the various nations policies and their citizenry?
Le Jimster (@lejimster82)
8th February 2022, 16:42
I’m all for anti-racism messaging, but have been against the whole politically motivated BLM and taking the knee from the start. It didn’t really make much difference to me in the end as I just muted my TV and would go do something else and return when the formation lap was underway. I will likely just continue to do this.
Jason Blankenship (@jblank)
8th February 2022, 17:44
Thank God! Get that SJW crap out of the sport….permanently!
Moi
8th February 2022, 19:20
Good riddance. I don’t watch sports to be lectured to on how I should feel on ‘issues’, thank you very much.
Nige
8th February 2022, 21:04
This waste of time was started because Lewis wanted a knighthood.
Tommy C (@tommy-c)
8th February 2022, 23:23
I’m confident this isn’t true…
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
8th February 2022, 21:24
Good, there should be more actions less ceremonies.
I am sure Lewis and Max will do plenty of racing as one again this year.
John Cousins (@drone)
8th February 2022, 22:54
Glad to see the back of this nonsense.
Such a cringe-worthy event. Go be “woke” somewhere else.
Can we watch some racing please?
Tristan (@skipgamer)
8th February 2022, 23:54
I think the problem of racial injustice has yet to be anywhere near solved and I hope we’ll see racial injustice being raised as a problem that needs solving more often into the future.
While the gesture was cringey I worry that the removal of it, makes some people think that the problem is over or somehow solved.
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
9th February 2022, 0:03
So wait, F1 solved racism??
I have an opinion
9th February 2022, 0:11
Lewis is back, but had to drop “We Race As One”? So what (who) will FIA be dropping on their side of the bargain?
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
9th February 2022, 1:55
Maybe that is a good thing so the “one” stops thinking everyone races for him. Guess last race made that clear.
Gotshum
9th February 2022, 2:25
The supposed ‘Lack of diversity’ in any given field that is an “end goal” ie; gainful employment in a position that requires relevant skills and qualifications, can’t be blamed primarily on the employer if no candidates that fit in the categories, that define someone as a minority, exist.
So the suggestion that F1 is somehow ra*ist because there aren’t many people of colour working in its ranks is ludicrous. It’s basically saying that everyone in the teams who’s responsible for hiring new staff has ignored anyone who isn’t white. Again, ludicrous thinking. There are many, many nationalities represented up and down pitlane so I don’t understand people saying that F1 isn’t diverse.
stefano (@alfa145)
9th February 2022, 4:58
about time
Sergey Martyn
9th February 2022, 5:17
Great news! And please don’t forget to bring grid girls back! Make races great again!
Mark (@surfermark)
9th February 2022, 9:50
Ohhhhh if only!!
Wayne
9th February 2022, 5:29
Wow i read someone say they mute their tv and go do something else when the we a race as one gesture slot is on. Such a pity that people would actually deliberately choose not only to abstain from this gesture (yes getures are important) but willfully choose to do “something else”. Because the gesture is soo appalling and the meaning behind the gesture.
Patrick (@anunaki)
9th February 2022, 8:43
I won’t miss it.
Mark (@surfermark)
9th February 2022, 10:03
Although I’m glad to see the back of this virtue signalling BS, it was at least good to see which drivers had the balls to (literally) stand up against the pressure kneel, most obviously, Max!
Sergey Martyn
9th February 2022, 12:16
The very idea of that “performance” was fundamentally wrong – there are countries responsible for race segregation, slave trade, holocaust, genocide, apartheid etc. Sportsmen from US, UK, France, Belgium, Germany etc. can kneel, kiss the boots or do whatever they choose. Why sportsmen from the countries without such history, moreover – who backed national liberation movements in Africa and Latin America and helped A LOT of the folks who were oppressed, why they should express a grief over colonial politics of imperialist states?
Michael (@freelittlebirds)
9th February 2022, 14:07
I guess the drivers now will have to kneel before Masi and Domenicali – makes quite a bit sense after Abu Dhabi…
Action more than gestures? More like sweeping it under the rug with a token action.