F1 racing star Lewis Hamilton was once again the target of bigotry and hate when fans cheered after the driver crashed on the track during a qualifying event on Friday.
The incident was caught on camera at the Austrian Grand Prix. Fans in the center grand stand stood and cheered after the crash, which could have seriously hurt the driver — or worse.
Many of the unruly fans were also accused of sexist and homophobic behavior during the event which was held over the weekend.
Last month Hamilton was the target of racist slurs from a former world champion who is now under a probe for his comments. F1 officials has since barred him from events.
More about the crash and racist abuse against Hamilton can be found here.
Opinion: F1 has some major work to do if it wants to convince the public the organization doesn’t take racism lightly. There need to be harsher punishments, perhaps similar to steps MLS and other international soccer leagues have implemented. (Racism is still a rampant issue in soccer, not just in Europe but Latin America.) If racism is unacceptable then it’s overdue for F1 officials show just how unacceptable it is.
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