Ecclestone’s questionable statement
Former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is displeased with his statements about racism in a TV interview.
The “Black Lives Matter” movement doesn’t stop at Formula 1 either. Before the start of the season in Spielberg on July 5, Lewis Hamilton especially campaigned for the topic. The six-time world champion is the only dark-skinned driver and openly criticizes the fact that it is made too difficult in the premier class of motorsport “people of color”.
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An interview with the long-time Formula 1 boss, Bernie Ecclestone, clearly confirms this impression. The 89-year-old says at CNN: “In many cases, black people are more racist than white people.” The moderator pauses before asking questions (see video above). Ecclestone did not go into more detail on his statement and caused a correspondingly large outcry on social media.
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When asked by the reporter how he came to this conclusion, Ecclestone replied: «Against every injustice against whatever skin color, you have to act right from the start. It is not easy to change people’s attitudes. You have to learn it at school. You have to think about these things when they’re still growing up. I think it’s completely stupid to tear down these statues. You should leave it there. Take the kids to look at them and explain what these people did and how wrong it was what they did. »
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Explanation: During the mass protests against #blacklivesmatter, numerous statues of historical people with a racist background were torn down.
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Should Formula 1 play a pioneering role in the fight against racism? «I think the people who have to do this are the viewers. As a small group, everyone involved in the sport can do very little. I’m surprised that some teams are concerned about it. The public has to start thinking about it. I honestly don’t think people have generally cared about it over the years. You should have done it. It affects us all, but not all of them directly. Everyone is too busy taking care of their everyday worries, not the things that don’t directly affect them. »
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Hamilton can’t believe it
Hamilton criticized Ecclestone’s statements as “ignorant and illiterate”. “If someone who has been involved in sport for decades knows so little about the profound problems that black people have to deal with every day, how can we expect understanding from the people who work under him,” wrote the 35-year-old Briton on Instagram.
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Hamilton responded to Ecclestone’s statements via Instagram.
–Picture: Instagram
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“Damn it, I don’t even know where to start,” Hamilton began his reaction. The 89-year-old Ecclestone was no longer part of Formula 1 and from another generation, but his comments would show what went wrong. “It now makes perfect sense to me why nothing has been said or done to make our sport more diverse or to counter the racist attacks that I’ve been exposed to throughout my career,” wrote Hamilton.
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Formula 1 also distances itself
Formula 1 had previously distanced itself sharply from Ecclestone. “At a time when unity is required to attack racism and inequality, we disagree with what Bernie Ecclestone said,” said a statement. Ecclestone no longer plays a role in Formula 1.
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Hamilton said: “The time for change has come.” The Mercedes driver has repeatedly publicly supported the “Black Lives Matter” movement in recent weeks. He also accused Formula 1 of being a “white-dominated” sport and founded a commission to pave the way for more black people into Formula 1.
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(dpa, hua)
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