Over the last few years, Lewis Hamilton has been at the forefront for bringing about change to F1, by making it more inclusive and diverse. Unfortunately, the progress made has been very little if at all. Matt Bishop, in an exclusive interview with The SportsRush’s Tanish Chachra, says that F1 is a long way away from actually meeting its diversity goals.
When asked about why there is so little change in F1, and why Hamilton continues to be the only driver to advocate for the same, Bishop simply replied, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” He emphasized the fact that fundamental changes as big as these, take time.
Bishop brought up the topic of including more women in motorsport. “If you can see it, you can be it,” he adds. He talks about how young girls need to be inspired by pioneers of women in racing, and get invested in the sport at an early age. In terms of more inclusivity, he does admit that no one has been as vocal as Hamilton.
I was the launch Comms Director of #WSeries, I worked for it from the start until November 2020, & I loved every minute of it. I’m gutted to hear that it’s gone into administration, but working with these wonderful women was & will always be one of the highlights of my career. pic.twitter.com/Z1nDWqUbpo
— Matt Bishop ️ (@TheBishF1) June 15, 2023
“Nobody in the sport has been more visible than Lewis Hamilton. Lewis Hamilton, or Sir Lewis Hamilton, as he’s been rightfully elevated to now, via various efforts and charitable and good cause enterprises of his, including but not limited to the Hamilton Commission, I think wants to open the door or doors to people of color. Whether they be men or women. Boys or Girls.”, the 61-year-old added.
He goes on to say that the organizations responsible for promoting diversity and inclusivity are simply not doing enough. For that, he takes a dig at F1’s ‘We Race as One’ campaign.
Matt Bishop calls out F1’s efforts to eliminate discrimination
In 2020, F1 decided to introduce the ‘We Race as One’ campaign. This was a phrase visible throughout tracks, on driver helmets, paddocks, and even some cars. The purpose was to promote inclusivity and eliminate discrimination. Drivers like Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel were at the forefront of promoting the same.
Unfortunately, that campaign has died out according to Bishop. “F1 itself ran a programme which was called We Race As One,” he said. “Hashtag We Race As One. It seems to have fallen by the wayside for some reason, which I think is a pity.”
WE RACE AS ONE #AustriaGP #F1 #WeRaceAsOne pic.twitter.com/Vn4fb3O0A0
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 28, 2020
The former Aston Martin Communications Chief then said that F1 should bring the hashtag back. He doesn’t think it includes a lot of effort or persuasion. But, it could end up making a big difference.
