Why women are mad at f1 today
Even if you’re a vaguely conscious, peripheral fan of Formula One, you might have seen an outcry from F1 fans today.
It was announced today that the woman who accused Christian Horner of harassment at work was suspended. Horner was cleared of all wrongdoing last week. The Red Bull F1 team missed the mark today.
When asked about the situation this week, drivers responded with comments like:
“[the situation] is a lot of noise and distraction”
“I’m just here to do my job”
“I like driving cars"
“It’s got nothing to do with me”
When given the opportunity to respond to the situation with empathy, with concern for those involved, this grid’s drivers decided to dodge and minimize the conversation. Lewis Hamilton’s answer was very different, of course. He’s the king.
Teams, too, are facing backlash. No team has come out with a statement that condemns Red Bull’s actions or even restates their commitment to women in motorsport. Zak Brown, Mclaren’s CEO, called for FIA involvement in the case. James Vowles, William’s team principal, spoke eloquently about how F1 needs to create space for women in this male-dominated field. However, no team has put out a statement reaffirming their belief that women have a spot in motorsport.
All of this falls during Women’s History Month. On the week of the first televised F1 Academy race, where every F1 team has a sponsored car in the series. On the week RB (Red Bull’s junior team) decided to run a livery with every woman teammate’s name on it in small print. No, that’s not an internet joke; it’s real.
Let me tell you why women are mad…
This is the perfect time to be about what you say you are about.
The FIA, F1, and F1 teams all talk about how diversity is good for the sport. We need new voices. We need to grow forward, not be stagnate.
Women are the fastest growing demographic in the F1 fanbase. Women also have spending money and spending power, as evidenced by the recent “Barbie summer” and record-breaking Eras & Renaissance tours.The teams and drivers obviously love that women are spending their money on merch, on tickets. Women are boosting drivers and team’s profiles. That is lucrative from a sponsorship standpoint. Women are pushing this sport forward.
However, refusing to reaffirm that everyone (including women) deserves a safe working environment is wrong. Sexual harassment has no place in our sport. To not articulate that sentiment is wrong.
Last year, there was an incident where fans were harassed at a race. F1 got all the teams involved and released a statement: We will not tolerate fan harassment in F1. It seemed like F1 was taking this seriously. It felt like, with F1’s help, we were going to create a more equitable, safer environment for non-men in motorsport. The lack of care and attention F1 and its teams have taken in the Horner harassment allegations proves that F1 does not care about women, whether they are in the fan stands, the paddock, or the boardroom. That is what makes this so frustrating.
Women are mad. I am mad, as a woman, as a fan. I was already disappointed in Red Bull and its decision-making, but I am even more upset with the teams and drivers actively trying to sweep the situation under the rug and “move on.” I am mad that not only did the F1 teams decide to be a bystander, they decided to side with Horner. The Desmond Tutu quote rings true here: “If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”
To the drivers and teams of F1: I do not appreciate your neutrality. I do not accept that this is “not your problem” or that it “does not affect” you. Sexism and misogyny are our problems because women cannot fix it by themselves. We need allies. Misogyny and sexism hurt all of us. We need men to stand up and do what’s right. And don’t just do it because you have a wife, girlfriend, daughter, mother, sister, auntie, grandma, etc. Stand up because it’s just the right thing to do. Be bold.
