Formula One bosses have opted to end a pre-race anti-racism gesture and say “it’s time to move on and take some other action.”
Throughout the 2020 and 2021 seasons, drivers had the option to take the knee for a moment of silence at the front of the grid before lights out.
Although the allocated time is set to be pulled, the sport has vowed to build on the impact of the gesture.
Today, they announced that it will extend funding to the Formula One Engineering Scholarship programme aimed at underrepresented groups until 2025.
They will also continue to show the anti-racism message before each race.
Speaking about the changes, F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali told Sky Sports: “The [knee] gesture was important for the ones that believed that was an important gesture because we need to respect everyone.
“But now is the time to move on and take some other action. The action is the focus on the diversity of our community, and this is the first step.
“We are committed to increasing diversity and opportunity within this incredible sport.”
Domenicali went on to speak about Hamilton’s lengthy silence after the 2021 Championship decider in Abu Dhabi. The British driver took a break from social media over the Christmas period, and recently returned to tell fans that he “is back.”
“There was a total respect on his choice to be silent. I think his battery will be fully charged for the start of the season,” Domenicali said.
“That is important because Lewis is an incredible asset not only for our sport but for the world.
“Lewis has in front of him a possibility to be an eight-time world champion. So I’m pretty sure he is totally focused on these objectives.”
The Formula One Engineering Scholarships programme has so far given 10 students the opportunity to begin engineering degrees at universities in the UK and Italy.
