Racism is never a ‘bit of a joke’, Bernie

1715701 — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:04:00 GMT

According to Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone the racist abuse of Lewis Hamilton in the build up to last weeks Grand Prix finale was ‘a bit of a joke’. And he could not see ‘why people should have been offended by it’.

This has been coming. When the issue of racism first came up earlier this year in Spain, it was rather brushed under the carpet. It was only a handful of fans we were told.

But anyone that follows football will know that Spanish sport suffers from widespread racism and that sooner or later Hamilton would be subjected to abuse.

The FIA response to the abuse Hamilton suffered in Spain was feeble. A website, everyrace.net, was set up to show that the sport was doing its bit to combat racism.

I suggest you check it out – it is truly pathetic.

There is nothing on the site that shows what the FIA is doing to encourage young minority drivers to get involved in the sport or anything of that nature. Rather it shows a series of faces, from every creed and colour, of people involved in Formula One.

You can pledge your support – which I did – but that’s it. For all I know my email of support could be lost in cyberspace forever.

It will be interesting to see if people call for Ecclestone to resign following his comments. In an era when the Mirror can stir an angry mob of more than 50,000 over ‘Sachsgate’, it will be interesting to see what pressure the press will now apply to Ecclestone.

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Racism is never a ‘bit of a joke’, Bernie