After the reports of harassment in the stands at the Red Bull Ring, Formula 1 issued a statement of condemnation, but did not name names. This erratic behavior was the subject of this week's Paddock GP
In response to the harassment at the Austrian Grand Prix, especially against Lewis Hamilton fans, Formula One released a narrow-minded official statement to address the issue. This fear of calling things what they are undermines any faith that there will be serious conduct to resolve the problem.
Shortly before the start of Sunday's race, Formula 1 issued a statement after reports on social networks about harassment of women, racist and homophobic insults coming from some fans. The category said it was aware of the events and promised to take action over what it called "unacceptable behavior."
The behavior of the fans in Austria - the vast majority supporting Max Verstappen and thus the home team - had already drawn attention in qualifying for the sprint race. During Q3, as soon as Lewis Hamilton crashed, the stands became euphoric. The Mercedes driver rebuffed the attitude.
But what happens at the Spielberg circuit is not just a matter of rivalry between teams. Many women, especially, have taken to the networks to share how uncomfortable it has been to attend the racetrack to follow F1. "The behavior has been so... disappointing. My expectations were already not very good, but gee, racism, swearing, harassment... the list goes on," wrote one female fan on Twitter.
In a statement, F1 promised to take action. "We have become aware of reports that some fans have been targets of completely unacceptable comments coming from other fans during the event. We have raised this with the [race] promoter and local security and will listen to anyone who has reported such incidents and is taking it very seriously. This type of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. All fans must be treated with respect," he assured.