F1 drivers free to choose how to mark pre-race stance during 2021 season
Formula 1 drivers wilജl be completely free to choose how they wish to mark the revised pre-race ceremony this season.
In a change to F1’s pre-race ‘End Racism’ demonstration, the sport will use the allocated slot prior to races in 2021 to focus attentꦜion on its ‘꧅We Race As One’ initiative launched last year.
As part of it♎s push for greater diversity in motorsport, F1 held a pre-race stance against racism which featured the wearing of ‘End Racism’ T-shirts and a video message. All the drivers apart from Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, Max Verstappen, Daniil Kvyat, Kevin Magnussen, and Alfa Romeo duo Kimi Raikkonen and An🧸tonio Giovinazzi opted to take a knee.
For the upcoming 2021 campaign, F1ꦏ drivers will gather on the grid ahead of the race to show united support for important issues tꦛhat include the three key pillars of the championship’s revised ‘We Race As One’ message - sustainability, diversity and inclusion.
During this timeframe, there will not be a requirement to carry out a specific gesture, with drivers free to decide 🐭how they want to show their support.
An F1 spokesperson said: “The whole of Formula 1 is united in its support for #WeRaceAsOne and the driver✃s will all show their own sup♊port for the initiative ahead of the grand prix.
“The drivers will be free to show their commitment in their own way before the race and there will be no requiꩵrement for them to make a specific gesture.
"The i🐓mportant thing is all of them being together in full support of our initiatives on sustainability, diversity & inclusion and community.”
The changes follo𒁃w a meeting between new F1 CEO and🎀 president Stefano Domenicali and the drivers which took place during pre-season testing in Bahrain last week.
Speaking during testing,🐲 seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton - who was the leading voice behind F1’s anti-racism stand last year - stressed that action is more important than slogans or gestures.
“I don’t think it is the most important thing that everyone does take the knee,” he 🐎explained. “I think it is more the action that we take in the backgroundꦚ.
“Things pass and things die down. It is important that it continues to be an issue that affects my day to day life and🦩 so many people out there.”
Lewis regularly attends Grands Prix for mahbx.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from 🀅the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matt💦er in the sport.
