Many people describe Bernie Ecclestone as a racist. The 2008 racism controversy is still lingering fresh in people’s minds.
Bernie Ecclestone, the British Magnate, sparks controversies wherever he goes. Scandals have always surrounded him, which has impacted his image on people’s minds.
He is the former chief executive of the Formula one group. He was involved in a racism controversy for the first time in 2008 ever since the topic is still discussed every time he makes offensive statements.
Is Bernie Ecclestone Racist?
Bernie Ecclestone is termed as a racist person. It began when in 2008, he labeled an act of Spanish fans towards Lewis Hamilton as a joke.
During the race in Barcelona in 2004, Spanish fans hurled abuse at him. They blacked up their face, put on wigs and T-shirts inscribed “Hamilton’s Family,” writes Mirror.
One comment destroyed his image that he worked hard to get for a lifetime. It may have been long since the incident happened, but no one can ever forget that time. They are still discussed among netizens.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, F1’s sole mixed-race driver, created his commission to fight racism and boost diversity in the weeks following George Floyd’s death. Moreover, Formula One also launched the We Race As One campaign to combat global inequity.
Ecclestone complimented Hamilton’s efforts in an interview with CNN but said, “In a lot of circumstances, black people are more racist than white people are. He, afterward, questioned if their efforts would “do anything harmful or good for Formula One.”
In response, Hamilton slammed Ecclestone on Instagram, calling him “ignorant and uneducated” and claiming that he now understands why nothing has been done to address diversity and racism.
Bernie Ecclestone Racism Controversy Explained
Bernie Ecclestone’s racism controversy is widely discussed on the internet. In 2020, he made offensive comments on Black people, which has involved F1 racer, Lewis Hamilton.
Ever since the first time when he took a Spanish fan’s action as a joke, there was a feud between him and the racer. Then, almost over a decade, he made another statement that probably deepened their feud.
The billionaire still claims that he did not know that Lewis was offended by those Spanish fans. Thus, people do not think he is guilty of what he said about Black people in several instances.
Bernie Ecclestone Comments On Lewis Hamilton Getting Knighted
Bernie Ecclestone has some disagreement about Lewis getting knighted. He commented that Lewis did not deserve the knighthood. He said that many awarded people do not do much to earn it.
He also added that the knighthood should have been given to someone who has done something for the country.