'And what if one of the drivers confesses to being gay and will go out with a rainbow flag and urge everyone to become gay? “Racing Pride would be happy to work with the FIA and Formula 1 in. One of the most successful F1 drivers in recent seasons, Rosberg has been competing at Formula One level since 2006. Since 2010, Rosberg, 30, has won 14 Grands Prix, and has won the Monaco Grand Prix three times in a row, an achievement only three other drivers have managed. Actually, there are more than you think. Evan Darling is an openly gay driver known best for his efforts in road racing. Evan raced in the GRAND-AM Road Racing Series as a part of the Street Tuner.
Gay Formula 1 Drivers
Written by Shashank Nair | Updated: November 17, 2020 3:27:39 pm
Lewis Hamilton is now the most successful Grand Prix driver of all time. (Reuters)Lewis Hamilton equalled Michael Schumacher’s record of seven titles in Formula One to enter the pantheon of greats on Sunday. Hamilton matches up, and in some cases, even exceeds Schumacher in terms of achievements on the track. But if there is one arena where Hamilton has no competition, it is the work he has done in terms of political engagement in a sport that has rarely engaged with life outside of its bubble of races, engineers, mechanics, machines and brand building.
Diversity in Formula One
Formula One is a sport that has historically favoured teams and drivers with the deepest pockets. The economics of the sport allow for only a select few to enter it. Before he began his dominance in the sport, Lewis Hamilton’s identity among a larger public audience was that of being the first ever black race car driver in Formula One. Hamilton, who came from a poor British family and whose parents had to truly struggle for his career in racing to become a reality, is the biggest anomaly in the way Formula One has always been run. It is therefore no surprise that the man who has practically no business being around the sport, has been its biggest campaigner for bringing about diversity in the sport.
Hamilton’s call for diversity over the years hasn’t just been about there being more race car drivers of different ethnicity. In an interview once, Hamilton said, “There really is the most minimal diversity within this sport and I really want to be a part of shifting that, working in cooperation with Formula One and the FIA. I don’t know why there’s not enough university students, engineers, mechanics and even media coming through from more diverse backgrounds.”
The response to his call for action was perfunctory at best. Formula One boss Corey Chase promised to open up newer avenues for drivers of colour to enter the sport. But the overall message of hiring people of colour was lost among the noise. That was until Hamilton this year ramped up his efforts to bring about changes in F1 as the Black Lives Matters movement grew.
The response to his call for action was perfunctory at best. Formula One boss Corey Chase promised to open up newer avenues for drivers of colour to enter the sport. But the overall message of hiring people of colour was lost among the noise. That was until Hamilton this year ramped up his efforts to bring about changes in F1 as the Black Lives Matters movement grew.
Mercedes changes colours
One of the most recognisable sports stars in the world and the greatest driver in the sport (in terms of number of wins) not only wore a Black Lives Matter T-shirt and took a knee – he also got other drivers to join – but also got his German team, Mercedes, to join the campaign. The success that both Mercedes and Hamilton provided each other helped the Black Lives Matter movement gain visibility in Formula One. And with Mercedes not wanting to let go of their prize driver to other teams, made them more ready to go with the changes that the Brit was wanting the team to implement. It led to Mercedes racing in 2020 with an all-black livery instead of their customary silver, in a bid to align themselves with the Black Lives Matter movement. For a team with cars painted silver and black for decades and known as the ‘Silver Arrows’, going all-Black, including racing suits and uniforms for the mechanics and engineers, was a significant step.
Lewis Hamilton, the sport’s only Black competitor, has previously worn a “Black Lives Matter” T-shirt in similar pre-race gestures against racism. (Reuters)“We will not shy away from our weaknesses in this area, nor from the progress we must still make; our livery is our public pledge to take positive action. We intend to find and attract the very best talents from the broadest possible range of backgrounds, and to create credible pathways for them to reach our sport, in order to build a stronger and more diverse team in the future,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff earlier in the year, reiterating the team’s backing of Hamilton’s political stand. As he continued to wear BLM t-shirts, helmets and took a knee as a sign of protest, Mercedes continued to back him.
F1’s lukewarm response
Despite his team backing his stance on being vocal about the Black Lives Matters movement, the response from F1’s stakeholders was not as enthusiastic. Hamilton criticised F1’s response to BLM by saying that it was too rushed and that the organisation was not looking to make any actual, structural change. “We’ve said things and there’s been statements released and we’ve made gestures such as kneeling but we’ve not changed anything,” Hamilton said according to a BBC report. “Except for perhaps some of our awareness.” This made clear when Hamilton continued to wear BLM t-shirts and talk about the movement even after the season opener in Austria, though F1 gave the impression that it was to be a one-time perfunctory show of support. Formula One had allocated time before the season opener for drivers to show support for the anti-racism movement but did not do the same for the second and third rounds.
Convincing his peers
The biggest fight for Hamilton in bringing about a change in Formula One continues to be his own peers, that is, the drivers. Last July, Hamilton criticised French driver Romain Grosjean’s (who is a director of the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association) response to the BLM movement and that he believed the Frenchman didn’t understand the gravity of the situation. Six drivers didn’t take a knee at the season opener in Austria. But no one went as far as former Russian rival Vitaly Petrov, who accused Hamilton of being ‘overzealous’ and that the 35-year old’s political stance in the arena of F1 was ‘too much’. He then went on to compare the Hamilton’s BLM stance akin to ‘a gay individual flying a rainbow flag asking everyone else to become gay’. Despite these comments, Petrov was invited by Formula One to be a racing steward at the Portuguese Grand Prix.
Motorsport great Mario Andretti went as far as calling him ‘militant’. In response, Hamilton said the comments were ‘disappointing’.
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Sergio Perez will miss Sunday’s British Grand Prix after becoming the first Formula One driver to test positive for the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.
F1 announced the news Thursday a few hours after disclosing that Perez was retested because of an inconclusive first test.
Are There Any Gay Formula 1 Drivers
F1 said Racing Point would announce a replacement for Perez “in due course.”
![Gay formula 1 drivers Gay formula 1 drivers](https://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01812/rest_pa_1812191b.jpg)
According to multiple reports, Mercedes reserve test drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and Esteban Gutierrez would be available to replace Perez Sunday in the Pirelli British Grand Prix.
In a statement, Racing Point said “Sergio is physically well and in good spirits, but he will continue to self-isolate under the guidelines of the relevant public health authorities, with safety the ultimate priority for the team and the sport. The entire team wishes Sergio well and looks forward to welcoming him back into the cockpit of the RP20 soon.”
BREAKING: Sergio Perez will not take part in this weekend's British Grand Prix after testing positive for COVID-19
He is self-isolating and we wish him a speedy recovery
Racing Point's driver line-up will be announced in due course pic.twitter.com/bfndFxqa9D
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 30, 2020
The FIA said in a statement that “a full track and trace initiative has been undertaken and all close contacts have been quarantined. The procedures set out by the FIA and Formula 1 have provided for swift containment of an incident that will have no wider impact on this weekend’s event.”
Perez, 30, has finished a career-best second twice (at Malaysia and Monza in 2012) over 179 starts during an F1 career that began in 2011 with Sauber F1. Sergio Perez will miss his first race since 2014 because of his positive result for COVID-19.
The Mexican driver, who also has been with McLaren and Force India, has finished sixth, sixth and seventh in the first three races of the 2020 season. Perez recently said he has a long-term contract with Racing Point beyond this season.
F1 has released reports on its COVID-19 testing every Friday. McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown has praised the program and said he was warned for hugging driver Lando Norris after a third-place finish in the July 5 season opener at Austria.
“I don’t know exactly what every other racing series is doing, so it would be difficult for me to say they’re doing it right or wrong,” Brown said. “All I can really do is speak to what Formula One is doing, and they’re doing an unbelievable job.”
In order to enter the track, any F1 personnel (which includes drivers and team members) must have a negative COVID-19 test. Private testing was used ahead of those traveling to Austria. After entering the track, personnel are tested every five days with private medical teams at events along with extra screening.