ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Chandhok supports Hamilton’s F1 diversity criticism
FORMER Indian Formula One driver Karun Chandhok has said Lewis Hamilton was “absolutely right” to use social media to speak out about “racism and diversity”.
“I also think he was right to call out the rest of the paddock and the rest of the sport,” he added.
Chandhok, along with Martin Brundle and Simon Lazenby, were discussing Hamilton’s comments on Sky’s F1 show on Monday (8).
Last week, F1’s six-time champion and only black driver, Hamilton was vocal on social media about his support for the Black Lives Matter movement, criticising his sport for its “silence”. He also revealed the racist abuse he suffered as a child.
“I spoke with a number of people within the sport who felt it was a bit unfair because they didn’t believe they were racist and thought he was making generalisations – but I think they missed the point,” said Chandhok. “Lewis’ point seemed to be that it’s not enough to be non-racist. He’s calling for people within the sport to be actively anti-racist. He was right.”
Hamilton has been praised by his team Mercedes and Ross Brawn, his former boss and now F1’s managing director of motorsports.
According to Chandhok, drivers who have a lot of followers on social media need to actively speak up to raise awareness of racial biases “which do exist”.
Chandhok, who drove for Hispania and Lotus in F1, also agreed with the sport’s push for more diversity at the grassroots.
“This is a generational shift that’s needed. Our kids, hopefully, will grow up in a society and a world where people are more conscious of racial biases and are thinking about it, picking up the small signs. I think that’s really important,” he pointed
out.
He added that he hadn’t experienced any racism while growing up.
“I didn’t grow up as a black teenager karting in Europe in the 1990s like Lewis did, so I don’t know what that was like. I can only speak about myself,” Chandhok said.
Brundle, discussing the comments alongside Chandhok and Lazenby, said he was “proud” of Hamilton for using his platform to speak out. “He’s earned the right – through talent, adversity, hard work, personal risk, and winning six world championships in Formula 1 – to stand up and say the things he said,” said Brundle.