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[sax2basix]

LEWIS HAMILTON has hit back at Bernie Ecclestone as the grand prix race row rumbles on.
F1 supremo Ecclestone insists that abuse directed at Hamilton by Spanish fans this year was not racist.

The world champion was targetted by sections of the crowd during pre-season testing in Barcelona in February.

A minority of spectators mocked Hamilton by wearing wigs, dark make-up and t-shirts with the slogan ’Hamilton’s Family’.

And in the run up to last weekend’s crunch Brazilian Grand Prix, hundreds of abusive messages were posted on a Spanish website.

But today, Ecclestone waded into the controversy and said: “I think it’s all nonsense.

“In Spain people were supporting Fernando Alonso and in Sao Paolo they were supporting Felipe Massa.

“I don’t think it was anything to do with racism.

“There were a few people in Spain and that was probably beginning as a joke rather than anything abusive.

“I think people look and read into things that are not there. All those things are all a bit of a joke and people are entitled to support who they want to support.

“I don’t see why people should have been insulted by it. These things are people expressing themselves.”

But Hamilton hit back, saying: “I didn’t see it as a joke.

“It’s something that happened but it is in the past.

“What’s more important to me is that I had a lot of support, especially from UK fans.

“As long as I have my country behind me it makes me very proud. It makes me very proud to see my fellow countrymen holding up the flag.

“All the other stuff I need to put behind me."

Hamilton added: "I haven’t read what Bernie said but I have a huge amount of respect for him and can only assume he said positive things.”

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sp ... 901085.ece

This is the sort of Rubbish that really makes my blood boil

First Line......... "LEWIS HAMILTON has hit back at Bernie Ecclestone as the grand prix race row rumbles on."

Last line..........."Hamilton added: "I haven’t read what Bernie said but I have a huge amount of respect for him and can only assume he said positive things.”

Nowt like contradiction.............no wonder the kid gets so much stick. And as for Bernie - well what can I say

[Kate]

What a chicken Bernie is....exactly what is not racist about people painting themselves black and writing "hamiltons family" on their T-Shirts....get a reality check Bernie...!
As for Lewis, i hope he does let Bernie know that that's what he thinks...when he's actually read what he said.
Although all the words are probably twisted...it is The Sun after all!

[texasmr2]

Old news and topic: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2755&hilit=Lewis+gets+racism+in+Spain
so I'm locking this thread.

[McLaren Fan]

Ecclestone is talking rubbish and he knows it. He's just worried that the sport's image may be (further) tarnished and he'll lose a few million.

[texasmr2]

I have unlocked this thread for sax2basix and apologize to everyone for the inconvience.

[jsonf1]

Well people usually blame everything on racism these days so............
Can´t say what they were thinking when they wrote that stuff but just like here, who takes messages written on a forum or overall on the internet by anonymous people seriously???? Hellllooooooo??

[McLaren Fan]

From autosport.com:

Ecclestone racism remarks cause uproar

By Jonathan Noble Friday, November 7th 2008, 10:20 GMT

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone is facing calls from anti-racism groups for him to resign in the wake of the storm that has erupted over comments he made about Lewis Hamilton.

Ecclestone suggested that insults thrown at Hamilton via websites in the build-up to the Brazilian Grand Prix, as well as earlier this year during testing, were not racially motivated.

"There were a few people in Spain and that was probably beginning as a joke rather than anything abusive," Ecclestone told BBC Radio Five Live.

"I think people look and read into things that are not there. All those things are all a bit of a joke and people are entitled to support who they want. I don't see why people should have been insulted by it."

Those comments have caused a big controversy in Britain - with some leading anti-racism campaigners believing Ecclestone's statements were unacceptable.

Kick It Out, the anti-racism sports pressure group, told The Times: "What Bernie Ecclestone said is shocking and disgraceful. In his position in Formula One, and with the sway that he holds, for him to come out and say this . . . is very worrying and short-sighted.

"You would expect [him] to be protective of someone like Hamilton and use his authority to chastise these supporters. This will upset a lot of people, particularly young mixed-race and black males who are looking up to Hamilton and what he has achieved.

"Fans blacking up in the stands was overt, old-school racism and that is still fresh in the memory. People are entitled to support who they want but that is no reason for racist abuse, which this clearly was."

Former footballer Paul Elliot, who is ambassador for European campaigners Football Against Racism in Europe, was widely quoted in the British press as saying: "The comments are shameful and disgraceful. Lewis Hamilton has made a colossal contribution to the country and the sport, and the sport has a duty of care to protect him and his family.

"Bernie Ecclestone is not fit to be in that environment and he should resign. There has to be zero tolerance. However successful Ecclestone is, it is clear he is out of touch with the 21st century. It is totally out of order, unacceptable and he should move over."

Hamilton also said that there was little humour to be found in the actions of fans who dressed up in black face paint and black wigs - although he had not heard exactly what Ecclestone had said.

"I didn't see it as a joke," he told a press conference for Vodafone. "It's something that happened but it is in the past.

"What's more important to me is that I had a lot of support, especially from UK fans. As long as I have my country behind me it makes me very proud. It makes me very proud to see my fellow countrymen holding up the flag. All the other stuff I need to put behind me. I don't generally keep up with what's being said and I haven't read what Bernie said."

Ecclestone reacted to the controversy his comments had caused by denying he was condoning racist behaviour.

"I was the one who pulled the Grand Prix out of South Africa [after 1985] in support of Nelson Mandela because of bloody apartheid before these people knew anything about racism," he told The Times.

"I said to the promoters in Barcelona, 'Let me go and get the people that blacked their faces up and bring them into the paddock and introduce them to Lewis and then see what they've got to say.' But the police said, 'Don't do it.' I personally was going to get them."

[jsonf1]

How am I not supprised to see some group pop up with their "He has to be fired" bs
Nothing new really.....

[Denthúl]

How am I not supprised to see some group pop up with their "He has to be fired" bs
Nothing new really.....

He does. He's ruining the sport in more than one way.

[sax2basix]

Firstly, I would like to stress that the intention of this thread was not to discuss the race issue but rather to point out the blatant contradictions which occur in our press. So may I say a huge public thank you to Tex for taking my comments on board, I very much appreciate it

The sun online highlighted this article with the statment "Hamilton Hit's Back at Bernie" which is clearly utter nonsense, and they went on to finish the article with a statement that blatantly contradicts this..............british journalism at it's best No wonder the kid get's so much stick as comments he makes are clearly portrayed incorrectly. It makes me mad as people read crap like this and form negative opinions on Lewis, and others, because of it.

[Kate]

It has since been said (i read this on teletext...) that Bernie has apologised to lewis saying that what he actually said was that the spanish "were a joke,they were clowns"

i.e. the sun is still complete and utter b*llocks!