“It’s got nothing to do with me.” 

“There is noise…It should only be about racing…I don’t think the sport should be interrupted by what happens away from the circuit. That’s got nothing to do with racing.” 

“I’m not really affected…I read it, I see it…I don’t really have an interest or an agenda there.”

“There’s always talk in this sport…but if people read these things, it’s a good thing for the media, right?”

I’ve spent time reflecting on what, aside from the obvious, causes these words to sit so uncomfortably in my mind. I slept on it, and woke up this morning to a clear answer for my discomfort. 

These drivers live a consistent life of luxury, a luxury that manifests itself in many different shapes and forms. I am not here to fault them for the worlds they were born into, or the accomplishments and successes they’ve worked to achieve, or the ways in which they enjoy their wealth and fame in their free time. 

What I do feel compelled to discuss is how incredibly disappointing it is that many have chosen to use that world and that success to justify their position as active bystanders in a powerfully negative situation in the sport. I term them active bystanders intentionally, as each of them stands securely rooted in roles and spotlights that could be so immediately leveraged in defense of this female Red Bull employee and many other women who have experienced a similar victimhood of the power imbalance in the sport. It is an active choice to stay uninvolved, to convince oneself that this glaring issue does not or should not affect the 20 F1 drivers on the grid. To adopt and accept the disquieting luxury of being uninterested and unaffected is a poor choice. 

I understand that many drivers who were pestered about the Red Bull situation by insensitive journalists are not directly involved with the team. I can see how that could be mistaken as a degree of separation from the mess. I understand that this is a volatile issue in the media, and that words and answers are often twisted in a way that drivers and teams have little control over (I may even be guilty of that to a degree in these very writings). I also see, with full clarity, that the drivers who can separate themselves from this issue under the guise of not being affiliated with Red Bull, or under the guise of adhering to media training, are failing to grasp the scope of what has happened - what is continually happening with women in motorsport. 

I understand that it is difficult to draw a conclusion about fault or blame when an investigation has been as vague and shadowy as this. I cannot in good conscience pretend to know what has gone on here in its fullness. I can say that, regardless of the extent to which the allegations are true, what has happened inside Red Bull to their female employee breaks my heart. How I wish I knew her name to provide her with the recognition and support that her bravery merits, and somehow still shield her from the lashes she would surely and disappointedly receive from the media. It is clear that women do not have the appreciation, security, and safety inside Red Bull operations that they deserve. The response from the rest of the paddock has been equally as telling to the fact that this sinister attitude is not contained to any one team or character. I, along with many female fans and participants in motorsport, see myself and my own experience in what has happened to this Red Bull employee. I hear the words of the drivers and leadership about this woman as if they were speaking about me, about my friends, about anyone who has experienced anything remotely similar to what has been alleged. 

There are a few glowing instances of hope in the paddock as James Vowles, Lewis Hamilton, and Zak Brown have clearly and actively called for transparency in the investigation, for protection of diversity in the paddock, and for further inclusion and open-mindedness. I struggle to hold to that hope; although these statements are important and although these few men are well-spoken and well-intentioned, it is disappointing that just three actors surpassing the bare minimum is enough to excite me for a brief moment. The rest should follow suit and be so eager to defend morality and inclusion in Formula 1 that we cannot even list on our fingers and toes those who express support for diverse participation in the sport. The rest should have the wherewithal and honor to draw on their experiences and make better use of the microphones so consistently in front of their mouths. 

As a female fan who actively involves herself in the Formula 1 world, who feels passionate about the speed and the driver dynamics and the engineering and the racing, I want – no, I need – to be connected to my fellow female fans through the shared experience of that passion. As a writer by profession I still struggle to muster the right words to express the pain I feel over being connected, more often, through our shared experiences of pain, discrimination, othering, and disappointment. This International Women’s Day, I greatly look forward to connecting with more women in the sport, whether fans, crew, drivers, or leadership, to share in that passion and continue to take up our shared mantle of advocating for the female motorsport experience to transform into one that we can be proud of. 

Cover Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-racing-suit-checking-her-go-kart-in-the-garage-5640629/