People going to a track should be encouraged to understand the sport’s technicalities and this would reduce the partisan aspect. The problem is the sport is far too complicated and there is no need for it to be.

It is next to impossible for people to understand what a driver is doing and for people to understand the difference between drivers. I am sure most of the people who go to a track just to shout abuse could not tell you the difference in Hamilton and Alonso’s driving style and understand from that why one of them could suddenly be quicker at a particular circuit.

Equally because of pit stops and strategy it is far too difficult for people to understand what is happening in a race. I have always believe that a grand prix should be 20odd drivers leaving a grid and racing unaided to the chequered flag. If two drivers are running together fighting for the same piece of tarmac a five year old can understand what is going on. On the other hand if one driver is on one strategy and another driver is on a different strategy no-oe knows what is going on.

The more transparent the action on the track the less opportunity for the press to stir up baseless resentment..

Here in Brasil racism is crime.

There is a lot of biass above this matter. The famous picture shown in the newspapers is just rubbish. It was a major day during the Barna Carnival and also those people were interviewed on TV, the were wearing a fancy dresses (quite poor have to say under my point of view) trying to be LH´s family saying we are sorry Lewis, we love you but… (on the back of the T-shirts there was a legend) FA Nº1. I particularly did not find it funny, but neither insulting in that context. What it was bad was the insults to hamilton and McLaren by other not easy to identify people in front of the box, that obliged the authorities to withdraw them from there.

What I find hard is that the British press taking the tolerance´s flag (?) has made with the issue, putting the entire Spanish Society as racists saying like The Times, The Sun…. that Spanish people used to “enjoy” emigration to Southamerica up to 30 years ago and now find difficult to welcome latinos from Southamerica. Also fights between latin-bands against spanish-bands, not counting and isolated incident provoqued by a drunk-troublemaker in an underground wagon who had plenty of publicity on TV, and so on.

As I said. This has gone too far, and is giving ammunition to those stupid racists for going on, they now will be on the screen all over the world and that is important for those brainless.

I think the whole FAvsLH issue has gone out of control, and media(Spanish and British) should stop throwing gasoline to the fire. I also think that Lewis should stop referring Fernando in any way, as Fernando is doing with him. It would also help a public intervention of Fernando condemning the incidents.

Thomas, I don’t understand your comment. Who’s crying? And why should Hamilton go to NASCAR?

It’s easy to find them :
El Pais (Poll)

El Mundo

ABC

Just an example, there are more. These ones don’t get into the issue, just reveal what say everyone (FIA, Hamilton, Montmelo’s principal…) . I think the sensation among the people is that these incidents are shameful, but also that english press has also overreacted.

I think I established myself as equal last year. He was [the leader] at the beginning, wasn’t he, but it changed.

Well, he thought he was at the beginning. But I don’t think that should be the case, we should be a team. It should be equal.

He showed me just how not to behave as an F1 driver.

I can’t see how anyone thinks something like this justifies racial abuse. I don’t want to get on a moral high horse here, but the two actions are incomparably different.

No one is exempt from criticism. But everyone should expect to be able to live without racial abuse.

1/23 38,000 attend Valencia testing, no incidents
1/24 “Hamilton to use Alonso behavior as a lesson”
with obvious derogatory remarks about
Alonso
1/25 “Hamilton takes another swipe at Alonso”
more derogatory chatter from Hammy
1/28 “Alonso not enough to revive Renault”
Hamilton continues pounding Alonso
2/3 Alonso fans have had enough of Mr.
Hamilton’s taunts !!!

Just an observation but one might note Hammy was welcome at Valencia, this hate problem started AFTER Hamilton’s attacks on Alonso. Maybe not all the hooligans live in Spain.

Keith, the media in Spain has covered this story and the general feeling is shame. Is just a surprise that such a serious newspaper made such an article. Marca and The Times can not be compared, is even not the same league.

How many?. 10%? that’s 350 people. 50%? 1750 people. I don’t know, and i could’t find it in any paper.

Maybe 10 is the number of people who was expelled from the circuit that day.

I guess is very difficult to have the exact number. How many were racist abusing? How many were booing? and how many were there, no abusing, no booing, but not feeling ashamed at all about their neighbours behaviour?. Probably we never know how many people was involved.

Second part. I think The Times is wrong in its article. All media in Spain talk about the racist incident in Montmelo. Papers, TV, radio, and most of them didn’t do it in the sport section, and gave a priority to that info. Of course, all of them critisced the racist abuse.

Only in “not proffesional” F1 website you can find some justification in some cases. People who comments in blog and forums is the most divided. In my opinion 50% of people thinks the racist incidence needs tolerance zero response, and public apologies (which already happened). And the other 50% thinks they have no need to feel ashamed because “there is racism everywhere” and ” i’m not racist and i don’t feel linked in any way to the people who abused”.

I’m in the tolerance zero group (just in case someone was asking).