Formula One heads into the 2008 season expecting problems like tire blowouts, gearbox failures and spectacular crashes.
Fighting racism wasn't supposed to be on the list.
Governing body FIA announced the launch of an anti-racism campaign _ starting with the Spanish Grand Prix on Apr. 27 _ after British driver Lewis Hamilton endured racist taunts at the same track during F1 testing on Feb. 2.
Widely publicized photographs showed a group of people in the Catalunya Circuit stands wearing dark face paint with T-shirts displaying the slogan "Hamilton's Family."
"I'd really like to meet them when we return to Barcelona for the Spanish GP," F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.
FIA expected F1 to rally around the initiative, but Ecclestone sees the Spanish fans' actions as unsportsmanlike behavior.
"I don't think we should even be talking about racism," he said. "I really think that they are against Hamilton for his ability, not because he is black. I always thought it was a bit of a prank _ they're probably not racist at all."
For many Spaniards, Hamilton shoulders the blame for Fernando Alonso's failure to win a third straight world championship last season. Alonso, who has since left McLaren, is one of Spain's most prominent sporting figures.
"If they wanted to boo Lewis when he comes out of the pits then it's up to them," Ecclestone said. "Let's just hope there are no more problems because it's bad for Spain, the country's promoters, the people, the sport."
The Spanish GP and the European GP _ to be held in Valencia on Aug. 24 _ would not be considered for removal from the F1 calendar due to the incident, according to Ecclestone.
Though FIA isn't revealing what its campaign will entail or the sanctions it could take, Ecclestone isn't worried.
"I don't know what kind of campaign you can create," he said. "A lot of times you create these campaigns without any real idea. I think FIA needed to react and people needed for them to react. I hope it just disappears now."
Catalunya circuit organizers are approaching the GP just as they always do since they have not been made aware of any special schemes to be organized.
"What we're studying is the implementation of more security cameras in the public areas to avoid what happened during testing," circuit spokeswoman Miriam Ramos said, with banners removed only if they are deemed offensive.
Alonso says his countrymen are not racist and that the media has blown the incident out of proportion. Hamilton returned to the Montmelo track for testing the next day to sign autographs and pose for pictures with fans as usual.
Though F1 is an international sport featuring drivers from Brazil to Japan to Australia, Hamilton is the sport's first black driver.
Martin Hines said there was "never a problem, never a question about" race when Hamilton raced karts for him from age 8 to 15.
"Everyone knew he was black and knew that he could become the first black F1 world champion," Hines said.
Bill Sisley _ the managing director at Buckmore Park _ also saw no signs of racial abuse directed at a young Hamilton, who debuted there when he was 8.
"We are racing people _ we're not interested in color, just racing. What happened in Spain never happened here in any instance _ it was absolutely appalling," Sisley said. "I sympathize with the circuit because what can you do to stop three or four people when so many are coming in?"
Though several teams have backed FIA's initiative, some outside the sport point to the sensitive subject of racism in Spain since it's not the first time such incidents have made headlines.
Madrid's image was tarnished in 2004 when spectators directed monkey chants at black England players during an international soccer friendly against Spain at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Many believe those actions hurt the Spanish capital's bid for the 2012 Olympics.
Though Spain has a "history of xenophobia," that's no excuse, said Tomas Calvo Buezas, director of the Center for Immigration and Racism department at Madrid's Computense University.
"Spain has one of the lower tolerances to racist behavior in Europe," he said. "In principle, Spain is a leader in terms of allowing equal rights to immigrants in terms of freedom of religious and cultural practices, but when it comes to actually providing them, it's a different story."
High immigration over a short period has fed some feeling of xenophobia in Spanish society. And with the unemployment rate rising and a national election coming on Sunday, the subject is a talking point since immigrants account for about 10 percent of Spain's 45 million population.
The problem is specifically worse in soccer, where ultras _ or fanatical right-wing supporters _ regularly abuse opposing players with racist taunts. Monkey chants have been heard at grounds in Zaragoza and Valencia.
The legislation is there to prosecute, but is rarely used.
"The government has passed strong legislation against racism ... the problem is that the judicial process is very complicated and very expensive," Calvo Buezas said. "So no one goes to court because of this and, subsequently, the police do not prosecute as much as they probably should. The immigrant then has no confidence in the court."
And few public figures are punished either.
Spain soccer coach Luis Aragones once referred to France striker Thierry Henry in racist terms and was fined euro3,000 (US$4,566).
Ecclestone said fans may have blurred the line by jeering Hamilton for his skin color when they meant to taunt him as an opponent. It is the same in Henry's case.
"You don't know whether it's because he's a hell of a player or because he's French," Ecclestone said. "It's just a normal reaction. That's the upside to it."
No comments:
Post a Comment