The Aston Martin F1 Team, Cognizant, and drivers Sebastian Vettel and Lance Stroll will celebrate Pride Month by raising awareness of LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion through a series of social and community initiatives.
This month-long promotion aligns the team with Formula One’s excellent #WeRaceAsOne diversity and inclusion initiative, which was launched in 2020.
Additionally, Racing Pride has partnered with the team to provide support and resources in the area of LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion within the organization and around the motorsport community.
Aston Martin F1 Team will publish a series of content pieces in June featuring motorsport’s LGBTQ+ community; and feature Racing Pride logos on the team’s 2021 challenger, the AMR21, at the French Grand Prix.
Through Racing Pride, the Formula One team’s people program will be strengthened – including the continuous improvement of inclusivity policies, running workshops to help develop and foster an everyday, inclusive culture as well as building and developing team member support strategies.
This work has already begun, with Racing Pride having conducted a thorough review of the team’s existing policies; assisted with the implementation of an internal survey to better understand the team’s current position, shape an informed strategy and measure progress; and provided inclusivity and awareness workshops to the HR team, line managers and the internal Diversity & Inclusion team.
Sebastian Vettel said: “I want to help highlight the positivity around the message of inclusion and acceptance. I congratulate the people who have pushed the discussion that has led to wider inclusion; but, equally, I’m aware that more needs to be done to change attitudes and remove much of the remaining negativity.
“It is great to see Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team giving this issue support – there is a long road ahead, but I’m really pleased we can play a positive role.”
Lance Stroll said: “As a racing driver and a public figure, I’m passionate about building inclusion within the motorsport world. I’m already involved in helping to develop a STEM programme with Cognizant for young engineering students, but this initiative is a way we can be pro-active as a team in breaking down barriers and fostering positivity.
“It’s also a great way for us to support Formula One’s wider #WeRaceAsOne initiative, and I’m pleased that our team has found its own unique way to add its support to a very credible programme that’s been taken up by teams up and down the pitlane.”
Richard Morris, who races in the Britcar endurance championship, said the involvement of drivers was crucial.
“The reach they can give it is something that will make a real difference,” he told Reuters.
“To have Aston Martin be the first team at that level to directly and explicitly say to the LGBTQ+ community ‘you belong, we support you, you are valued’ — that has a massive far-reaching impact,” he added.