Romain Grosjean likely to 'take the knee' at the Austrian GP
Haas driver Romain Grosjean says he and the rest of the Formula One drivers plan to show their solidarity in the fight against racism and discrimination ahead of Sunday's race in Austria.
The sporting world has come together in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and anti-racism in general since George Floyd's death in the United States in May.
'Taking the knee' has been a common occurrence in the Premier League with footballers doing it before kick-off in every fixture.
In Formula One, six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has been a strong advocate of the Black Lives Matter movement and has pushed for change and increased diversity in motorsport.
Mercedes has opted to run an all-black livery and overalls for the duration of the campaign while F1 itself has launched its own initiative - ‘#WeRaceasOne’ - in a bid to become more inclusive and diverse.
Speaking after Friday practice at the Red Bull Ring, Grosjean admitted initially he had no intentions of taking the knee until he researched and understood the deeper meaning behind it.
“Personally I wasn’t a big fan of the knee, taking the knee initially but then I read more about it,’’ Grosjean said. “I think it’s a sportsman's move to show that you are against racism and it’s not linked to any political movement so I think I will take the knee. I think racism shouldn’t exist.
“I have a problem with that [racism] and I don’t understand how people can have a problem with that but obviously it is happening so I will show my support. I think it’s important global sports like Formula One are showing some support and creating ideas like '#WeRaceAsOne’ which is great for the diversity of the sport because without diversity it’s all going to be boring and a boring world wouldn’t be nice to live in.”
Grosjean, who is a senior figure on the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers’ Association) alongside Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and former driver Alexander Wurz, said the association has been looking at ways the drivers as a collective can show its support on Sunday.
“Well in all fairness Alex Wurz has completely destroyed my WhatsApp by sending me messages that last 10 minutes over the last two weeks with Sebastian, so the GDPA has been very much involved in it and finding out what is the best way of showing our support.
“100% of the members are against racism and want the end of racism. Obviously, we have to be careful about what we do and what we say because there’s a lot of political involvement as well in some of the messages.''
