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[Mr.Snuggles]

i agree with you spannish bull fighter
thats totally right
racism is basically from an overall problem
but i think there was maybe a tad of favouritism
and yeah it is my country
and my fellow british driver
but still
Alonso wasn't treated right
he's not just a 2 time world champion for nothing!
and spain is an amazing place
i do not think for 1 second it is a racist country

[al4x]

its a catch 22

those few will probably show it off to their freinds but hopefully more people will look at them with disgust and they wont be able to show their faces at another gp or other event!

its definitly not fernandos fault, i think everyone agrees with that

[Martin]

I dont think that anyone has said that F.A. was responsible for the actions of these morons.
Fernando Alonso is responsible too.Andrew DaviesI see where you are coming from on this point SBF it is written in an unfortunate way. My interpretation is that A. D. was making the point that F.As. whinging created an anti McL. & anti L.H. sentiment in Spain. I still dont think that he actually meant that F.A., in any way, promoted this kind of action.
They were not dressed for carnival, that's a good and happy occasion, they were dressed for abuse and insult. That the media reported it was a good thing because everyones knows about it now, and even the FIA have responded to deal with the future of racism in Spanish F1.
So ,,, its a good thing to report the insults of 3,4 or 20 morons between 15000 "normal "persons?This is what you get with that report:"the future of racism in Spanish F1".It had to be reported, otherwise it would grow, however, maybe the quality of some of the reporting was not up to standard, I dont know, I didn't see any spanish reports, but the news has, I beleive put action against it which may otherwise not have happened.Anyway, news will be reported, like it or not, we all read/watch/listen to news and get what comes, good or bad. And yes, this was newsworthy, and its a fact that 1500 well behaved people is not news worthy. Would you want to read about 15000 people that did nothing wrong and just enjoyed the day?
Why would you not want the press to report it? These morons get no glory from it so do you want it swept under the carpet to protect the image of Spain?

You are wrong, they have the glory.Now morons can see their stupid faces on newspapers pictures so they can show their friends and think they are very funny. So yes, i want to protect the image of spain , why? well under the pictures of morons, you wont read " 3 donkeys in Montmelo " youll read " spanish racism ".


If it was not reported it would quite likely happen again, but now it is unlikely.
wrong again. Next day another 5 idiots from Jerez will do the same.why? because now they will get the attention from the media.
If it had not been reported I dare say that the morons would have taken their mates with them next time, and now I dont think that they will be popular with their families /workmates etc.
Do they deserve it??????[/b] As I said before - they deserve to be boiled in oil!

Hey SBF, lets not fall out over this, we are both on the same side, I am certainly not having a go at the Spanish people, we have more than our fair share of morons in England. Fortunately they are not involved in F1 at the moment - mainly football but we've still got them.

[al4x]

From Planet f1

what the 'fan' meant

One of the spectators accused of racism at last weekend's Barcelona test has apologised for his actions, saying he never meant to offend Lewis Hamilton.

During last weekend's test at the Spanish track, Hamilton was verbally abused by some of the Spanish fans who also held up racist banners, insulting the Brit and his McLaren team.

The media in particular slammed four men after they arrived at the circuit wearing dark curly wigs, black make-up and T-shirts with the words 'Hamilton's family'.

However, Toni Calderon, who was part of the 'Hamilton's family' group, has defended his actions, saying he did not mean to offend Hamilton.

He told the Spanish daily Publico: "We went last Sunday and we dressed up to celebrate Carnival. We wanted to give a touch of humour to Montmelo and have a laugh at the father of Hamilton.

"We didn't have the slightest intention to laugh at anyone, nor to laugh at the British driver for the colour of his skin.

"I am not a racist and it has made me ashamed to appear like that in the British press. Also, as I am in the middle of the photo, I seem like the protagonist. This has angered me."

The Spanish lorry driver added that no one working security said a word to anyone in his group when they arrived dressed as 'Hamilton's family.'

"On the contrary, the people on security at the gate started laughing and let us pass," he said.

"In fact half the people who saw us thought we were fans of Hamilton. Lots of people took pictures of us.

"If I had known that this was going to happen, I would never have dressed up, but I want to be very clear that we never intended to offend.

"We haven't done anything wrong. I would not have any problem to explain it personally to McLaren and Lewis who is a star."

The FIA has launched an investigation and could ban Spain from holding two grands prix in Barcelona and Valencia later this year

[stonemonkey]

I'm sorry, I take back everything I said in my first post. They did enter the circuit like that and security was laughing with them about it.

"I am not a racist and it has made me ashamed to appear like that in the British press. Also, as I am in the middle of the photo, I seem like the protagonist. This has angered me."

Ah, so he's the victim of... er... WTF!

[McLaren Fan]

From Planet f1

what the 'fan' meant

One of the spectators accused of racism at last weekend's Barcelona test has apologised for his actions, saying he never meant to offend Lewis Hamilton.

During last weekend's test at the Spanish track, Hamilton was verbally abused by some of the Spanish fans who also held up racist banners, insulting the Brit and his McLaren team.

The media in particular slammed four men after they arrived at the circuit wearing dark curly wigs, black make-up and T-shirts with the words 'Hamilton's family'.

However, Toni Calderon, who was part of the 'Hamilton's family' group, has defended his actions, saying he did not mean to offend Hamilton.

He told the Spanish daily Publico: "We went last Sunday and we dressed up to celebrate Carnival. We wanted to give a touch of humour to Montmelo and have a laugh at the father of Hamilton.

"We didn't have the slightest intention to laugh at anyone, nor to laugh at the British driver for the colour of his skin.

"I am not a racist and it has made me ashamed to appear like that in the British press. Also, as I am in the middle of the photo, I seem like the protagonist. This has angered me."

The Spanish lorry driver added that no one working security said a word to anyone in his group when they arrived dressed as 'Hamilton's family.'

"On the contrary, the people on security at the gate started laughing and let us pass," he said.

"In fact half the people who saw us thought we were fans of Hamilton. Lots of people took pictures of us.

"If I had known that this was going to happen, I would never have dressed up, but I want to be very clear that we never intended to offend.

"We haven't done anything wrong. I would not have any problem to explain it personally to McLaren and Lewis who is a star."

The FIA has launched an investigation and could ban Spain from holding two grands prix in Barcelona and Valencia later this year

I was about to post this myself, so thanks for putting it up sooner and getting the word out. I think Calderon is talking complete rubbish. It's very strange that out of hundreds of people chanting abuse at McLaren, racist abuse at Hamilton, and throwing missiles at memebers of the team, that this guy and his acolytes, dressed in a way which was bound to be construed as racist, just happened to be innocently having a laugh. Does he think we are stupid.

Questions have to be asked about the security as well. So, not only did they fail to do anything for several days and until McLaren asked they do something and when it hit the headlines, they allowed people into the circuit all decked out for racism. These scum with clothes and their faces painted black and other with banners etc. of a similar theme. Totally disgusting and it just reflects how deep and ingrained racism is in Spain. The circuit should be sued and heads must roll.

[aaneiros]

Questions have to be asked about the security as well. So, not only did they fail to do anything for several days and until McLaren asked they do something and when it hit the headlines, they allowed people into the circuit all decked out for racism. These scum with clothes and their faces painted black and other with banners etc. of a similar theme. Totally disgusting and it just reflects how deep and ingrained racism is in Spain. The circuit should be sued and heads must roll.

I suppose you must have great knowledge of Spanish society to make such claim. However, I don't agree with you.

Leaving alone the fact that whatever racist behaviour happened in the circuit must be investigated and punished I honestly think it does not prove anything about spanish society. There are morons everywhere, you know, and anywhere any of those morons can behave the way those guys did in Spain.

It looks to me, that all this racist issue (which I absolutely regret and agree with you must be investigated and pusnished) is been used by some part of the Brithish media in a biased way in order to attack FA, his supporters and his country because of all that happend between FA and the British team MacLaren last year.

The simple suggestion that any of the Spanish GPs or whatever other GP should be cancelled because of whatever racist behaviour may happen in them is downright crazy. Do that and, in no time, several more GPs will have to be cancelled as well, just beacuse a bunch of brainless locals decided to have some fun.

Also, I'd like to clarify that by this time of the year takes place in Spain the celebration of Carnival, during which it is the custom to wear costumes everywhere: in the streets, bars, schools, etc. That is a fact. It is also a fact that many people decide to disguise as someone from a different race without any racist intention.

It is not clear to me whether those people disguised as LH's family actually had racist intentions or not but the fact is that the story they told about their behaviour in the circuit does make sense in Spain by this time of the year.

It is possible that you know Spain better than me but I must confess that I celebrate carnival every single year in the school where I work in Spain and don't feel I am a racist.

[McLaren Fan]

It is possible that you know Spain better than me but I must confess that I celebrate carnival every single year in the school where I work in Spain and don't feel I am a racist.

I don't know Spain that well, but I know enough to say that the country has some problems with racism. That's not say everybody in Spain is racist, but a minority of people are. It's not the only country to have problems. France is even worse, as we all know from the civil unrest in 2005 and films such as La Haine

It is not clear to me whether those people disguised as LH's family actually had racist intentions or not but the fact is that the story they told about their behaviour in the circuit does make sense in Spain by this time of the year.

Well, it's very coincidental that those people with the faces painted black etc. happened to be in with the hundreds throwing missiles at McLaren staff, holding up anti-McLaren and racist banners, wearing clothing with racist comments, and people making racist chants.

[aaneiros]

Well, it's very coincidental that those people with the faces painted black etc. happened to be in with the hundreds throwing missiles at McLaren staff, holding up anti-McLaren and racist banners, wearing clothing with racist comments, and people making racist chants.

Yes, it is coincidental and maybe you are right but that is not enough to claim those people had racist intentions. What really bothers me is watching many media accuse those people of racism while ignorant of Spanish culture and traditions.

For all those chanting and throwing missiles there's no excuse, of course.

[mooker]

I think it was what their banners were saying that showed racist intent.

[al4x]

fernando can say those things if he wants, it not his fault that some people decide to display their racist feelings toward hamilton cause of it

if you say he should apologise for those comments your treading a fine line with the right to free speech and the like

edt, i put shoudnt instead of should!!

[texasmr2]

Every culture and country still has ignorant people within it and I find this statement "I am not a racist and it has made me ashamed to appear like that in the British press. Also, as I am in the middle of the photo, I seem like the protagonist. This has angered me" to be very reassureing on part of that fan but I'm not convinced.

What people need to THINK ABOUT before they act is the ramification's of their action's and how they are percieved by other's and how they make that person feel. I stopped into a store this morning at 6am for coffee and there was a young black gentleman behind the counter. I could see he needed a positive interaction so I said "what's up dog how are you doing" with a smile and his smirk changed instantly to a smile ! As I left I said "have a got weekend bro" and he replied "you too dog" with a smile. That was all he needed to hear to make his day better but I got the most joy from it.

Moral of this story? Stop thinking about yourself and put someone else's feeling's above your own for a change it make's life alot more enjoyable.

I hope my meaning is taken/understood in the right context pertaining to the thread's topic.

[bud]

That was a good media snippet by his lawyer i think.

[McLaren Fan]

From autosport.com:

Mosley: racist abuse also seen in China

By Alan Baldwin Sunday, February 10th 2008, 13:00 GMT

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton suffered racist abuse from Spanish Formula One supporters in China last year as well as at the recent Barcelona test, the head of the sport's governing body revealed on Sunday.

International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Max Mosley told Britain's Sunday Times newspaper that he had been told by Hamilton's father of incidents at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai last October.

"Anthony Hamilton told me that there were some people in China who were also appallingly abusive; not Chinese fans, but people who had travelled from Spain," he said.

The FIA warned Spanish circuits and the Spanish authorities after Hamilton was insulted by the crowd at the Circuit de Catalunya this month that the country risked being stripped of its races if such behaviour continued.

Mosley reminded Spanish fans that they too could be punished.

"If they went to Australia and did something like that, they could get arrested and we would know their names and passport numbers and they wouldn't get into another country," he said.

"We will do everything we can to stamp this out, we will do whatever it takes.

"If, as appears to be the case, a very small number of people are involved, it ought to be possible to stop it immediately," he added.

"If it isn't, then we have sanctions and we could pull the Grand Prix."

A spokesman for the FIA said the governing body was developing an anti-racism campaign which it planned to roll out early in the season, which starts in Australia on March 16.

A likely launch date would be the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona in April.

Hamilton, the sport's first black driver, has become a hate figure in Spain because of his rivalry with former McLaren teammate and double world champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who now drives for Renault.

Alonso complained last season that McLaren were favouring the 22-year-old rookie, who finished overall runner-up to Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen in a sensational debut season.

Mosley was shocked that racism should hit Formula One, saying it went against the whole ethos of the sport.

"One of the things that most attracted me to motorsport was that nobody cared about your background, race, gender or religion; the only thing that mattered was how quick you were," said the Briton, whose father Oswald was leader of the pre-war British Union of Fascists.

"In that respect, it has always brought competitors and supporters from different countries together without a hint of trouble."

[AKR]

Umm looks like you bet me to it McLaren Fan. I was going to post that exact article from http://www.f1-live.com as I saw it earlier today. Good work for picking it up Looks like we have a few hooligan minority Spanish supporters thinking F1 is football. Naughty people. Naughty, Naughty, Naughty.