F1 Racism incident in Spain

DILLIGAF

Here's a link to a major racism incident that was directed at Lewis Hamilton,a relatively new but absolutely legendary F1 driver,the guy is unreal and seems really sound,saw him in interview a few times and once on top gear.This report sickened me. There's a picture of them somewhere if you goole it,i just saw it on bbc news.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Sports/2008/02/04/f1_racism_in_spain_causes_uproar/1189/

mike65

I saw the news reports, the last I heard the FIA were considering pulling races IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN, which is a bit of a cop-out. It beggers belief those assholes got in to the circuit blacked up like "Minstrals".

Mike.

Tragedy

No pics?

aidan_dunne

mike65 wrote:

It beggers belief those assholes got in to the circuit blacked up like "Minstrals".

It seems one of the major questions regarding the whole incident at the moment is centering around whether they were allowed into the circuit actually dressed up and blacked up like that or did they go in dressed normally and changed and blacked themselves up after they got in. If they showed up at the gate dressed like that and the stewards/marshalls/whoever let them through, then major questions have to be answered. If they showed up dressed as normal and changed after they got in, well, there's not much that could have been done to prevent that apart from removing them from the circuit as quickly as possible. If it's shown that they were let in at the gate dressed like that then I have no sympathy for the track officials and, if they loose the Grand Prix as a result, so be it. They should be stopping this sort of thing from happening, in the same way that known football hooligans or people who look like they're going to be causing trouble should not be let into a football stadium.

mike65 wrote:

I saw the news reports, the last I heard the FIA were considering pulling races IF IT HAPPENED AGAIN, which is a bit of a cop-out.

Agreed! One incident of this kind is one too many and, as I said, if it's proved these people showed up at the gate dressed like that and they were still let through then the FIA should pull both Spanish races this season straight away to show to the Spanish that racism will not be tolerated in F1, just as it shouldn't be in football or any other sport.

To be honest, though, I'm surprised this sort of behaviour hasn't happened already with Hamilton. There's always going to be racist idiots who'll look to try and cause trouble no matter where and how and, with Hamilton being the first and, so far, only driver in F1, I'm surprised some of those idiots haven't targetted him already for this kind of abuse. Though, with the Spanish attitude to racism and black people in sport (football being a prime example), added to everything that went on this past season with Alonso, I'm not surprised it was Spanish "fans" who were the first to pull this sh!t with Hamilton.

Biro

There's no room for racism in any sport or any walk of life.
I wouldn't worry about booing and hissing though, that happens in all sports. I hate when people do it, but feck it, it's part and parcil of the whole lot. So maybe it's not all racism, just anti-Hamilton-ism! (As in some of the Alonso fans would boo him no matter what colour his skin was).
I'm sure he'll get over it though, he's cocky enough to ignore that sort of thing. Maybe Ron will hold his hand until he gets in the car at the other GP's...

Robbo

And to think if this happened in the 70s it would have been Saturday evening light entertainment...

arch_stanton

For anyone following F1 in the spanish media this will come as no surprise. On ITV it´s the Lewis Hamilton show where he can do no wrong and Alonso is the bad guy. On spanish tv and in newspapers its the opposite, Alonso is the hero and Hamilton is the villain. Until Alonso came along F1 wasn´t even shown on tv ourside Cataluña. Add to all that a less enlightened view on racial matters in some quarters (not all and lets face it there are idiots everywhere)

Having said that, it would be harsh to take away a race after the first incident. The organisers now been warned and have to take action to ensure it doesn't happen again.

aidan_dunne

Biro wrote: »

I wouldn't worry about booing and hissing though, that happens in all sports. I hate when people do it, but feck it, it's part and parcil of the whole lot. So maybe it's not all racism, just anti-Hamilton-ism! (As in some of the Alonso fans would boo him no matter what colour his skin was).

Booing and hissing is one thing and, as you say, that'll happen in all sports anyway. But doing what these people did, i.e. blacking yourself up or dressing up to look like a monkey, wearing a t-shirt saying "Hamilton's Family" on it and shouting insults like "puto negro" (f**king black) and "negro de mierda" (black sh*t) is quite another thing entirely. That is clearly racism and not just anti-Hamilton-ism and should be stamped out in the toughest way necessary, including cancelling the Grand Prixs if needs be to get the message across that this won't be allowed.

Biro

aidan_dunne wrote: »

Booing and hissing is one thing and, as you say, that'll happen in all sports anyway. But doing what these people did, i.e. blacking yourself up or dressing up to look like a monkey, wearing a t-shirt saying "Hamilton's Family" on it and shouting insults like "puto negro" (f**king black) and "negro de mierda" (black sh*t) is quite another thing entirely. That is clearly racism and not just anti-Hamilton-ism and should be stamped out in the toughest way necessary, including cancelling the Grand Prixs if needs be to get the message across that this won't be allowed.

True, that specific type of stuff is just chronic. Shouldn't be allowed.
I still don't feel sorry for him though!

county

Biro wrote: »

True, that specific type of stuff is just chronic. Shouldn't be allowed.
I still don't feel sorry for him though!

can i ask why?

mike65

Cos he is Lewis Hamltion and not Alonso. (there is a civil war in F1 fandom regarding those two).

Mike.

Tragedy

I think they're both cocks, raikkonen all the way.

Biro

Tragedy wrote: »

I think they're both cocks, raikkonen all the way.

I agree!

IanCurtis

Tragedy wrote: »

No pics?

Tragedy

Am I going to hell because that made me laugh?

IanCurtis

Tragedy wrote: »

Am I going to hell because that made me laugh?

You live in Rathfarnham, it will be a move up the property ladder

Tragedy

True. I'm sure theres going to be a property boom in hell in around 20-30 years too..oddly enough!

T-Maxx

What's this world coming to?:eek:

IanCurtis

Their attack on him is purely because he is black - there's nothing remotely clever or funny about it.

They are an embarrassment to their country.

DILLIGAF

I wish I was there. I find it hard these days to find a good reason for violence but it'd be piercings out and sleeves for rolled up for fistycuffs at dawn I can tell ya! I can even see from where their standing how we could flank them and **** them up REAL bad! Would it be wrong to hit the woman first? Has anyone else noticed they can't even spell family? retards...

kaizersoze

IanCurtis wrote: »

The tools can't even spell.:rolleyes: