Bossip Video

F**k ’em, we ball!

TOPSHOT-AUTO-PRIX-F1-GBR-RACE-PODIUM

Source: ADRIAN DENNIS / Getty

Them people sure don’t like Black folks reaching the pinnacle of their sport, especially if said sport is generally dominated by the white man. Yesterday, Lewis Hamilton won his EIGHTH British Grand Prix. Almost instantly, the lead-footed leader of the pack was inundated with racist messages from salty petrolheads with keyboard courage. According to CNN, Hamilton’s win was “controversial” as he was assessed a 10-second penalty for a crash with one of his racing rivals Max Verstappen. The incident not only ended Verstappen’s race but also landed him in the hospital.

F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain

Source: Dan Istitene – Formula 1 / Getty

The comments were flagged and some accounts were subsequently deleted but things got so bad that Facebook had to release a statement about the targeted abuse:

“In addition to our work to remove comments and accounts that repeatedly break our rules, there are safety features available, including Comment Filters and Message Controls, which can mean no one has to see this type of abuse,” a Facebook company spokesperson told CNN Sport.
Additionally, Hamilton’s Mercedes team, Formula 1, and the FIA also released a joint statement condemning the online abuse of racing legend and one of the sport’s few Black drivers.
“These people have no place in our sport and we urge that those responsible should be held accountable for their actions,” it read.
“Formula 1, the FIA, the drivers and the teams are working to build a more diverse and inclusive sport, and such unacceptable instances of online abuse must be highlighted and eliminated.”
F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain

Source: Bryn Lennon – Formula 1 / Getty

Ironically, this incident comes just a week after 4 people were arrested for targeted racist abuse toward a trio of British football players Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka. As a result of those attacks, the UK Football Policing Unit opened an investigation. Sounds like the FIA needs to get something similar to hold their fans legally accountable.
Categories: Race Matters
More From Bossip

Comments

Bossip Comment Policy
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.