Lewis Hamilton has warned there is no room for complacency in dealing with the harassment of fans after plans were put in place to avoid a repeat of the abuse that marred last year’s Austrian Grand Prix. The British driver demanded the sport take a strong stance to ensure F1 is an inclusive, welcoming environment.
Last year’s race was tarnished by accusations of sexist catcalling, inappropriate touching of female fans and homophobic and racist abuse. There were 60,000 Dutch fans in attendance to support Max Verstappen and many of the reports referenced the stands where they were gathered. Verstappen condemned their actions, citing excessive alcohol consumption as a factor, while Hamilton demanded F1 do more to deal with the problem.
This year F1 and the promoters at the Red Bull Ring have instituted new rules as part of the sport’s Drive It Out campaign, which was launched after last year’s race. Fans have been banned from bringing alcohol into the circuit and will be searched on entry, while those exhibiting signs of drunkenness will be barred. Security staff numbers have been increased and they have been given clearance from the local authority to deal immediately with antisocial behaviour. F1 has also made it clear it will identify and ban anyone who engages in abuse at a race.
Hamilton believed the sport was heading in the right direction but cautioned that it had to be resolute in dealing with abuse. “It was definitely sad to hear what happened last year,” he said. “I do know Formula One has taken action to make some changes here this weekend. But I still feel there’s work that needs to be done because potentially the same people could turn up. We just need to be very strong in our stance, in terms of how we expect people to be within this space that’s inclusive and for anybody. I’m hopeful that last year was a one-off. Fingers crossed.”
When Verstappen was asked about his advice to fans, he said simply: “Don’t get too drunk, just watch the race and enjoy.”
The sport’s new rules have been communicated to fans but it has yet to be seen how they will react when arriving en masse on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On the evidence of last year, when drinking began early in the campsites that surround the circuit, many were arriving already drunk. Doing so again this year and being barred from entry may cause flashpoints at the gates.
F1 has long attracted a largely white, male audience. Hamilton believed the sport and its fanbase was changing to be more inclusive but that it still had a long way to go.
“I think the demographic is shifting a little bit and I think that’s a positive,” he said. “We’ve got younger people getting into the sport. We have a lot more women now interested in this sport from a viewing point but also [as] engineers.
“Our head strategist here, she’s a badass and she’s been here since 2019 and it’s great to have her here. We’ve got a long, long way to go in terms of creating better accessibility within our sport. It’s changing but very, very slow.”
