Formula One is a fast-moving sport. But for all its technological advancements on track, there are many areas off track where it has been stalled for decades.
It was only two years ago that the then fairly new owners of Formula One Group, Liberty Media announced that there would be a ban on “Grid Girls” commencing that year. If that term means nothing to you, a “Grid Girl” was usually a scantily clad model, that stood on the starting grid posing for photographs, often holding placards with their respective driver’s racing number on. It was a tasteless, outdated tradition that should have been axed long before.
It gave a glimmer of hope, however, that the somewhat tyrannical ways of racist dinosaur Bernie Ecclestone were finally being stamped out and to some extent, they were, at least superficially.
Most recently we have the #WeRaceAsOne campaign, handily hash-tagged from the offset and introduced under the guise of “recognising the two major issues dominating society’s consciousness” COVID-19 and inequality. This all sounds great. Unless you’re one of Formula One’s more “socially conscious” fans, very deeply aware of what the sport has become over the last 70 years.
You can’t watch a Formula One race currently without seeing “ARAMCO” plastered all over literally every surface capable of having something plastered all over it. A multi-billion dollar Saudi Arabian oil company has its name all over everything Formula One, not just on race day, there are tweets “powered by Aramco”. The sport has always had its share of questionable or straight-up problematic sponsors, this isn’t new.
What is new is these “socially conscious” campaigns for equality, even climate change that run alongside adverts for an oil company from a country with a history of human rights abuses. There’s an unmissable hypocrisy that makes the entire thing reek of posturing and this is what I’ve been struggling with lately.
As part of #WeRaceAsOne every race has been starting with the “End Racism” message. An incredibly scripted, awkward black and white video of the drivers, some of which were seemingly held at gunpoint, telling us about how they won’t stand for racism. Except some of them will.
The “End Racism” video plays just before the drivers gather on the grid where most then take the knee. A simple, powerful gesture, used worldwide at this point, to express solidarity. It’s pretty difficult to believe that some of these drivers “won’t stand for racism” as they physically stand there refusing to take part.
“But I’m sure they have their own, valid reasons for not taking part, right?”
Among the standing drivers, I think Leclerc’s’ reasoning is the worst and shines a light directly on my issue with the entire #WeRaceAsOne campaign. “Gestures that could be seen as controversial in some countries” almost inadvertently admits to the hypocrisy that many sponsors or countries that Formula One races in, China, Russia, and the UAE for example, wouldn’t be pleased with such gestures.
The #WeRaceAsOne and #EndRacism hypocrisy hit new levels at Mugello, Italy in September when the official F1 Twitter account posted the following two post-race quotes from Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton.
Notice how Bottas’ quote is accompanied by an image of him from the actual interview and Hamilton’s quote gets a stock image? That’s because Lewis was wearing a t-shirt that said: “ARREST THE COPS WHO KILLED BREONNA TAYLOR” and presumably that was a little too real of a message for them to be sharing. So much so that the FIA went on to ban the wearing of t-shirts on the podium post-race, further dampening the already weak messaging of the campaign.
I’ve been an on/off Formula One fan for years, I used to watch every Sunday with my Grandad as I navigated a plate of roast beef and potatoes. That riff from Fleetwood Mac’s “The Chain” signifying another afternoon of my Nan complaining about the engine sounds. Back then I wasn’t aware of any politics or social issues, it was just fast, colourful cars going around circuits.
Like many, Netflix’s “Drive To Survive” pulled me back into the behind the scenes drama and I’ve been watching religiously for the last few years. And like many in recent years, I’ve been more and more aware and switched on to issues that deeply affect our society.
It’s in being so socially aware that I welcome movements from organisations to address both internal and external issues affecting society as a whole, but, that also comes with a heightened cynicism, an awareness of blatant, superficial gestures.
How can you claim to strive for a better climate while actively accepting the funds from a Saudi oil firm? How can you claim to support those hurt by systemic racism while silencing the one black driver in your sport? It’s hard to look at the above and not feel conflicted about continuing to support a sport I otherwise enjoy so much.
Part of me wishes they wouldn’t bother with these campaigns at all if it’s going to be handled so haphazardly. All of me hopes they’ll do better in the future.
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