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[AKR]

This is from an article I read today on the website http://www.f1-live.com (My favorite F1 website)
I feel sorry for Hamilton (Even though I don't like him). This incident is pushing it too far. Never knew people can actually take things this far in F1. I know it happens in football but anyway this is really low even from my point of view. I guess I can feel for poor Hamilton as I've been racially discrimated against before as well. Have a read.


Shame on Spain (updated)
Racist insults in testing for Lewis Hamilton
03/02/08 15:24




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F1 should be above xenophobic or racist taunts

Lewis Hamilton was the target of racist insults over the weekend while undergoing tests with McLaren Mercedes team at Montmelo near Barcelona, the Spanish press reported on Sunday. On each occasion Hamilton left the pits, insults were thrown at him by a group of spectators who also had banners criticising him.

'McLaren and Hamilton suffered a hellish time at Montmelo,' Catalan daily El Periodico reported, claiming it was a group of Fernando Alonso supporters who were making the chants.

Hamilton, who last year shared a difficult relationship with former team-mate Fernando Alonso, was called a 'puto negro' (f***ing black) and 'negro de mierda' (black s***) by certain sections of the approximately 20,000-strong crowd on Sunday, according to the Spanish sports daily Marca.



"It is not right the way he is being treated," the news agency Reuters quotes McLaren test team manager Indy Lall as saying.

A spokeswoman for the Mercedes-powered team said: "McLaren has raced and tested on Spanish circuits for many years and everyone connected with the team regards Spain and the Spanish people with great affection, Lewis included."

Two spectators were thrown out of the circuit and other actions were taken to protect the team.

[McLaren Fan]

A nice sound bite from McLaren, as ever. The Spanish tend to get a little excited and the media have probably only reported last season's events with a pro-Alonso perspective, so it's not entirely their fault what they feel about Hamilton personally. Racist chants, however, are well out of line. Those people are scum and should be ashamed of themselves.

[Martin]

A nice sound bite from McLaren, as ever. The Spanish tend to get a little excited and the media have probably only reported last season's events with a pro-Alonso perspective, so it's not entirely their fault what they feel about Hamilton personally. Racist chants, however, are well out of line. Those people are scum and should be ashamed of themselves.

I agree MF, but I think that, even if LH was white, they would have found something else to insult him with, just because he gave FA a hard time on the track and, undoubtedly because of the way the Spanish press reported on it.
I doubt even that these people were F1 fans really, but probably those who turned on to F1 just because FA became world champ, Spain does not have many sporting stars and so the reaction by the masses when they do get one is a bit extreme.
These 'scum' as you say were well out of order and should have suffered more than just being thrown out, they should have been arrested.
We dont want the football (European not U.S.) mentality to invade F1 do we?.
Well spotted Kiki

[AKR]

Martin wrote : We dont want the football (European not U.S.) mentality to invade F1 do we?.
Well spotted Kiki

I'm glad to see I have done something right for once.

Just would like to note something about the media. It's just a little something I picked up that was interesting. If anyone has been to http://www.f1-live.com, you'll probally notice that you can pick several languages. Obviously the article I posted here was the English one. I also took a look at the Italian one and it very much said the same thing as the English one. Then I clicked on Spanish and guess what? No such article about the racism towards Hamilton in Spain existed! Well I couldn't find one anyway whereas in the Italian one I found it straight away. Ummm very interesting isn't it? My German isn't up to scratch yet but I wouldn't be surprised finding the article in the German section either. Seems that the Spaniards want to hide this?

[al4x]

Let's hope they get this sorted before the Spanish gp

Its a cheap dig really using the black card, if he wasn't black they'd have to be more creative, which, for people like that, is probably beyond their intellect!

And it would be such a shame for f1 to go the way of football, I agree.

[8-ball]

if this continues then the FIA should strip spain of its two grand prix. I'm sure the racism is coming from a small bunch of idiots but the FIA should take strong action if it continues

[AKR]

Why does Spain get to have 2 GPs anyway? Bring back Imola!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Besides that was a great track with many great races (except for 1994 when the deaths of Ratzenberger and Senna happend).

[McLaren Fan]

Why does Spain get to have 2 GPs anyway? Bring back Imola!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Besides that was a great track with many great races (except for 1994 when the deaths of Ratzenberger and Senna happend).

It gets two Grand Prix because Alonso is twice world champion. It's why Germany got two Grands Prix for so long as well, with the Schumacher effect. I agree with you about Imola, and other tracks in general in fact. Catalunya is boring and should be taken off the calendar and replaced with a decent circuit. Valencia should be good. I'd rather it be Spain's Grand Prix.

[McLaren Fan]

From [i]formula1.com:

FIA condemns Hamilton abuse at Barcelona

Formula One racing’s governing body, the FIA, has publically condemned events during last weekend’s test at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya, after it was claimed McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton was subjected to racist abuse.

“The FIA is surprised and disappointed at the abuse directed at Lewis Hamilton,â€

[McLaren Fan]

Sorry triple post, but I just read this on autosport.com:

Racism row threatens Spanish races

By Jonathan Noble Monday, February 4th 2008, 11:09 GMT

Fans gesture at Lewis Hamilton during testing at BarcelonaSpain's motorsport chiefs have been asked to submit a full report to the FIA on what action they plan to take to prevent a repeat of the racism that marred last weekend's Barcelona Formula One test, with the future of the country's two Grands Prix now hanging in the balance.

The FIA has reacted in the strictest possible way to the events of the test, where fans hurled racial abuse at Lewis Hamilton.

It has demanded a full explanation from Spain's national motorsport association about what happened - and especially what will be done to prevent it occurring again.

The Real Federacion Espanola de Automovilismo (RFEA) must now prepare its response to show that it too is taking the matter seriously.

Although it is not thought that the RFEA has been told what action will be taken if its answers are not satisfactory, it is understood that the situation is being treated gravely by the FIA.

Sources close to the FIA have told autosport.com that this year's Spanish Grand Prix at Barcelona and the European Grand Prix at Valencia are now under threat because of what has happened, so keen are the FIA to ensure that racism is not tolerated in motorsport.

Spanish fans are aiming their abuse at McLaren and Hamilton because they feel that former world champion Fernando Alonso was treated unfairly when he drove for the Woking based team last year.

Recent tests have seen an upsurge in critical banners of Hamilton and McLaren, although the events at Barcelona were evidence of a new intensity to the fans' feelings.

Track organisers had to close access to grandstands and erect barriers in the paddock to try and quell the situation.

The racism row has become big news in Britain, with it making the front page of Britain's The Sun on Monday.

[bud]

These w**kers arent even F1 fans what you would call bandwagon mindless sheep who only started following when a fellow countryman won a couple of titles.
like i said elsewhere why dont these tough guys go follow a real tough guy sport like bull fighting, no infact why dont they compete id really love to see the bull win!!

[al4x]

perhaps the only good thatll come of this will be the loss of catalunya, as MF wrote earlier

at least everyone hear agrees that its a bad day for the sport

[Rob-F1]

What a bunch of f***ing idiots!

[texasmr2]

These w**kers arent even F1 fans what you would call bandwagon mindless sheep who only started following when a fellow countryman won a couple of titles.
like i said elsewhere why dont these tough guys go follow a real tough guy sport like bull fighting, no infact why dont they compete id really love to see the bull win!!

+1

[Freddie]

Why does Spain get to have 2 GPs anyway? Bring back Imola!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Besides that was a great track with many great races (except for 1994 when the deaths of Ratzenberger and Senna happend).

It gets two Grand Prix because Alonso is twice world champion. It's why Germany got two Grands Prix for so long as well, with the Schumacher effect. I agree with you about Imola, and other tracks in general in fact. Catalunya is boring and should be taken off the calendar and replaced with a decent circuit. Valencia should be good. I'd rather it be Spain's Grand Prix.

Heheh, so we are going to have a finnish GP this year ?