F1: Mexico GP seeks to stop ‘racist actions’ against Marko
(GMM) Organizers of the Mexican GP are calling for calm ahead of Sergio Perez’s home race later this month, aimed at Dr. Helmut Marko.
There have been incidents involving verbal abuse and booing in recent years, while the Mexican GP even complained about the way Dr Helmut Marko recently criticized Red Bull’s Perez for his ‘South American‘ lack of focus.
The race is now launching a campaign called ‘Racepect’, aiming to “eliminate acts of intolerance such as verbal attacks, racist comments and confrontations in the stands”.
“We invite the attendees of the Mexico GP to be an example for fans around the world,” said public relations director Rodrigo Sanchez.
“Let’s build an environment based on tolerance, inclusion, diversity and, above all, respect during races.”
Press Release
The world of Formula 1 represents passion and competition but sometimes in the heat of the moment, the intense rivalry between drivers on track can be expressed wrongly. As a result, organizers of the FORMULA 1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX Presented by Heineken are launching the #Racepect campaign, aimed to promote tolerance and respect among all members of the Formula 1 community.
#Racepect has been created to raise awareness about intolerance issues surrounding motorsport. In recent years, there have been a growing number of incidents that have ranged from spectators booing drivers to discriminatory comments. These insults and unpleasant behavior cannot go unnoticed, nor be allowed to continue. As a result, a campaign to highlight these issues has been launched ahead of this year’s Mexico City Grand Prix.
The #Racepect initiative is an open call for all those involved in the sport – drivers, team executives, media, fans, or anyone who is part of the Formula 1 family – to come together in an atmosphere of camaraderie to enjoy motorsport in unison and celebrate the skill of all the competitors on the race track.
“In F1, we celebrate everyone’s success and maintain a healthy rivalry among drivers and teams. That is how #Racepect was born, as a play on words that blend ‘Race’ and ‘Respect’ to create a movement in which we invite everyone to leave rivalry on the track because it is more about the spectacle than about the battle” explains Federico González Compeán, Managing Director of the FORMULA 1 MEXICO CITY GRAND PRIX Presented by Heineken.
#Racepect is a powerful message, not only for the Mexico City Grand Prix and the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, but for all sports events, which face unique challenges in the fight to eradicate negativity that include verbal abuse, racist comments, and confrontations in the grandstands.
“We invite all motorsport fans around the world, to passionately cheer for their favorite driver, but also behave respectfully towards other competitors,” adds Rodrigo Sánchez, Marketing and PR Director for the México City GP. “Let us build an environment based on tolerance, inclusion, diversity, and above all, respect during a Grand Prix.”