Rachel Roberts
In June, Aston Martin announced a partnership with Racing Pride to celebrate Pride Month – a movement launched in 2019 in partnership with Stonewall “Promoting LGBTQ + inclusivity within the motorsport industry and among its technological and commercial partners.”In addition to this partnership, Aston Martin will produce content that highlights the strength of the LGBTQ + community within the industry and features Racing Pride logos on the car at the French Grand Prix next weekend.
During the partnership, Racing Pride will work with the Aston Martin team to further develop its inclusion policy, hold workshops to help build an inclusive everyday culture, and develop support strategies for individual team members. They have already started this work by conducting a review of Aston Martin’s existing policies and assisting with the implementation of an internal survey, an in-depth strategy to measure progress, and by providing workshops for HR and other teams within the organization were.
Richard Morris, Co-Founder of Racing Pride, said, “The Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One team’s commitment to leadership in creating true equality – which this partnership represents – will be a source of inspiration for the LGBTQ + community within the sport , including its global fan base and in wider society. It is an extremely important step on Racing Pride’s path to positively promote the integration of LGBTQ + through motorsport. ”
Aston Martin Team Principle Otmar Szafnauer added, “The Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team strives to be a safe and inclusive environment for the LGBTQ + community and our alliance with Racing Pride enables us to further that goal […] We are happy to communicate a more proactive stance – especially during Pride Month – but we are committed to equality within the organization and this is a measurable step for us to demonstrate that determination. In addition, we hope that our commitment to this topic will be a beacon for the rest of the motorsport world to follow our example. “
Szafnauer’s emphasis on initiative and his team as a role model for others are incredibly important points. Formula 1 as an industry took a beating last year in terms of its diversity and inclusiveness. It launched its “We Race As One” initiative in June 2020 to “tackle challenges posed by COVID-19 and global inequality,” and in the pre-race time was given for drivers to express their anti-racism stance before the Start to demonstrate each race. But these actions have often been criticized for their rash nature and lack of unity among drivers, with some kneeling down and others standing up. Lewis Hamilton called on F1 and its governing body, the FIA, in July for not doing enough to combat discrimination. Even if there is “a moment before the start of each race … to show our united support for important issues” this year, the rainbow logo will no longer be visible.
In the fight to end all forms of discrimination, an industry like Formula 1 should address issues head on and reaffirm its anti-discrimination stance by specifically addressing direct issues such as racism, homophobia and sexism …
These actions are not as powerful as they could and should be. In the fight to end all forms of discrimination, an industry like Formula 1 should address issues head on and reaffirm its anti-discrimination stance by specifically addressing direct issues such as racism, homophobia and sexism, which would certainly be more effective than using the fight against inequality as an umbrella term. The drivers themselves were far more powerful. Hamilton is leading his sport, and with his commission set up into the barriers black people face to break into the industry, he’s determined to leave it in a much better place than he entered.
Helping Hamilton challenge F1 and FIA, Aston Martin driver Sebastian Vettel said of his team’s partnership with Racing Pride: “I want to help highlight the positive message of inclusion and acceptance. I congratulate the people who drove the discussion that led to wider inclusion; But I also understand that more needs to be done to change attitudes and remove much of the remaining negativity. It’s great to see the Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team supporting this issue – there is a long way to go, but I’m really excited that we can play a positive role. “
His teammate Lance Stroll also recognized the importance of the partnership and said: “As a racing driver and public figure, I am passionately committed to integration into the world of motorsport. I’m already involved in developing a STEM program with Cognizant for young engineering students, but this initiative allows us as a team to proactively break down barriers and encourage positive thinking. It’s also a great opportunity for us to support the wider Formula 1 #WeRaceAsOne initiative, and I’m delighted that our team has found their own unique way to add their support to a very credible program that teams in the pit lane is taken up – lane. “
Aston Martin’s partnership with Racing Pride and the work they can do together is a big step forward. It can only be hoped that other sports teams and leaders will follow suit and participate specifically and explicitly in events like Pride Month to promote a more diverse and inclusive industry.
Rachel Roberts
Selected image courtesy of Mathiaswasik via Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image usage license here.
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