F1 drivers free to choose how to mark pre-race stance during 2021 season
Formula 1 drivers will be complet꧑ely free to c🎐hoose 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 202🐭1 to focus attention❀ on its ‘We Race As One’ initiative launched last year.
As part of its 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 vid𒁃eo message. All the drivers apart from Charles Leclerc, Carlo🙈s Sainz, Max Verstappen, Daniil Kvyat, Kevin Magnussen, and Alfa Romeo duo Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi opted to take a knee.
For the upcoming 2021 campaign, F1 drivers will gather on the grid ahead of the race to show united support for import🦩ant issues that include the three key pillars of the championship’s revised ‘We Race As One’ message - sustainability, diversity and inclusion.
During this t🧸imeframe, there will not be a requirem🎶ent to carry out a specific gesture, with drivers free to decide how they want to show their support.
An F1 spok💮esperson said: “The whole of Formula 1 is united in its support for #WeRaceAsOne and the drivers wil꧑l all show their own support for the initiative ahead of the grand prix.
“The drivers will be free to show thei♈r commitment in their own way before the race aꦺnd there will be no requirement for them to make a specific gesture.
"The important thing is all of them being together൩ in full support of our initiatives on sus💫tainability, diversity & inclusion and community.”
The changes🌳 😼follow 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 t🦹esting, 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 i💮s moꦺre the action that we take in the background.
“Things pass and things die down. It is important that it continues to𒈔 be an issue that affects my day to day life and so many people out there༺.”
Lewis regularly ᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚattends Grands Prix for ltxcn.top around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter in the sport.
