Mercedes boss Toto Wolff claims racism does not exist in F1 despite Lewis Hamilton facing numerous racist comments in recent months.
Lewis Hamilton is F1’s first and only black driver. The Briton has struggled against racist abuse throughout his F1 career. But the 7-time World Champion has not let the colour of his skin dictate his destiny.
Lewis has fought against all odds and made himself an example rather than an exception. He has been a vocal critic of the lack of inclusivity and diversity in motorsports.
Toto Wolff and his team Mercedes have been supportive of Lewis despite the abuse he faces even in 2022. The team have taken a stand against hatred and backed their driver openly.
Just a couple of months ago, former F1 champion Nelson Piquet faced backlash for using a racist term to refer to Hamilton. even former F1 Boss Bernie Ecclestone took, who claimed he would “take a bullet” for Vladimir Putin, defended Piquet.
Piquet was boycotted by the F1 community. He is now facing a trial in Brazil for using the derogatory term on public television. And this shows how much racism and hate still influence modern society.
In fact, in the Austrian GP, there were reports of Red Bull and Max Verstappen fans abusing Hamilton. So it comes as a surprise when Toto Wolff himself denies the existence of Racism in the sport.
While Lewis Hamilton is trying to be vocal and root out racism, Toto has denied it altogether. And this has enraged F1’s Twitter community who have not been merciful to the Austrian’s ‘PR’ strategy.
Also Read: Nelson Piquet fined $1.8 Million by Brazilian Court for racist remarks on Lewis Hamilton
F1 Twitter reacts to Toto Wolff’s comments
Toto Wolff has been facing the fury of F1’s Twitter. He recently gave an interview where the Austrian was asked about the effects of racism in F1.
This came after F1 champion Nelson Piquet used a racist slur while discussing Lewis Hamilton on Brazil’s national television. Piquet faced widespread condemnation for his actions
Hamilton even said there must be more change to these “archaic mindsets” present in the sport. But, Toto seems to have forgotten the incident. Wolff says, the perpetrators of hate in F1 get duly punished and that’s it.
Toto said, “One is 80 or whatever it is and the other one is 105” referring to Piquet who is 69 and Bernie Ecclestone, 91. But the heat faced by the two has made “people are going to think twice” before using such derogatory terms.
And he adds, “I don’t see any racism in the current state of Formula 1. I could call some of my colleagues many names, but not racist.” He said Hamilton can address these situations directly by saying, “He can put the finger where it hurt,”
And this statement has tested the fury of F1’s Twitter community who have called out his ‘PR’ gimmick.
Also Read: Max Verstappen condemns fans burning Lewis Hamilton merchandise during Hungarian GP
