With the shift in motorsports becoming more diverse and inclusive, some brands and movements have been key in helping the change. Since 2019, Racing Pride has been paving the way to make the sport a more inclusive place. And in recent years, Aston Martin Aramco has also been an instrumental part in creating a more inclusive paddock. From changing policies to education, these two brands are going above and beyond to pave the way for others. Here, we explore the impact that Racing Pride and Aston Martin Aramco are having within motorsports.
Racing Pride
Racing Pride is an international movement that aims to positively promote LGBTQ+ inclusion through motorsports and its associated industries. Founded in 2019 in association with Stonewall by Dr Richard Morris. Working with teams and individuals, Racing Pride has become a pillar for the progression of pride in motorsports.
Matt Bishop is a founding ambassador of Racing Pride and was involved in its conception. “What it intends to do and does do is represent and further support the rights of LGBTQ+ people in motorsport.”
Over recent years, the demographic of motorsports fans has shifted to be more diverse. Bishop has credited this change as a driving factor in the creation of Racing Pride. One of their goals is to focus on the needs of all LGBTQ+ people, including the fans. With a growing diversity and a need for change, Dr Richard Morris, alongside a range of others, implemented a solution: Racing Pride.
“When things change, you change.”
~ Matt Bishop on Racing Pride’s creation.
Fostering Inclusion
Racing Pride isn’t just a visual representation of inclusion. They also work hard to drive changes in motorsports—from grassroots movements to the top. One of the activities the organisation does is to educate young and emerging karters. This ensures that change and inclusion are implemented in all areas. Here, they’d challenge the language used and explain why statements like ‘you drove really gay today‘ can be damaging and disrespectful.
“There was no resistance. People didn’t say, I’ll say what I damn well like. They said, ‘No, good point. I’ll stop saying that.’”
~ Matt Bishop on the responses Racing Pride received.
Currently, Racing Pride partners with a number of the Formula One teams and works with them behind the scenes—including workshops for employees and training days. With motorsports boards, they have helped to change DEI initiatives and are even helping the teams amend their policies. Through working with teams and boards, they’ve driven policy changes and helped foster more inclusive workspaces.
Aside from working with teams to install changes, Racing Pride does a lot for the fans, too. From a Discord server to events and even hubs at Grand Prixs, Racing Pride is always there to support everyone. Racing Pride also runs a membership, allowing fans to become a part of the organisation and have access to education and support year-round.
“It’s not just to raise awareness of who we are, but for a nice, safe space for people to be and come to at an event.”
~ Matthew-Harriet Randall on the importance of their ‘hubs’.
A Turbulent Ride but a Hopeful Future
As with anything new, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for Racing Pride. They have faced some issues during the past six years. Luckily, the reception has been generally positive over the years, but CEO Matthew-Harriet Randall opened up about how the biggest issue they face is “scepticism around what it is that we do and why we exist.”
Randall attributes the issues faced to a misunderstanding, and a level of privilege that some fans inherently have due to not facing discrimination. But that also ties into the need for Racing Pride and what they do: education. By highlighting the need for inclusion and educating everyone on the topic, they can help reduce issues faced in the future.
But what is next for Racing Pride? Both Bishop and Randall shared their hopes that in an ideal future, Racing Pride wouldn’t need to exist. Being more realistic, Randall explained how they’d love for them to go more worldwide with their efforts and branch out even further.
“It’s really important that we don’t lose sight of the wider ecosystem, from grassroots all the way through, from marshals to drivers to engineers to IT professionals. Everybody in between should be included, as well as worldwide.”
~ Matthew-Harriet Randall on the future of Racing Pride.
Aston Martin Aramco
Aston Martin is a renowned brand all across the world. From their iconic James Bond DB5 to their futuristic Valkyrie, they have always been pushing the boundaries. And the F1 team Aston Martin Aramco is only furthering that philosophy. Since joining the grid in 2021, they’ve been instrumental in helping the landscape grow.
Leading the Charge
Aston Martin Aramco isn’t just jumping onto a bandwagon; for them, inclusion is truly important. Over the past few years, the team has been implementing policy changes to make their space more inclusive. From helping their employees feel safer to showing fans that they belong, the team has been a pioneer in motorsports for championing diversity and inclusion.
“We owe it to ourselves. To make sure that we are as inclusive as we absolutely can be.” ESG Director Debbie Wall explained why inclusion matters to the team. She went on to describe how the change came from above, too, with stakeholders and sponsors wanting them to be more inclusive.
For Aston Martin Aramco, they aren’t championing inclusion to hit a target; they have fully embraced it and encompassed it into the team’s outlook on the sport.
The Influence of Drivers
It’s not in doubt that some legendary drivers have been affiliated with Aston Martin. Notably, Sebastian Vettel was outspoken during his time with the Silverstone team. His vocal and visual support was instrumental for the team and its progression, as well as furthering diversity in motorsports as a whole.
Wall stated the importance of having the drivers’ support: “If you work for Aston Martin F1, then you get involved.” The current drivers, Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso, are also helping the team and taking the time to understand topics when they are brought into activities. Being the first point of contact the fans have with teams, their input into the initiatives has a deeper and broader resonance.
Jessica Hawkins, a driver ambassador for the team, and Jak Crawford, one of their young drivers, are also helping the team do more. Both drivers get involved with projects and events whenever they can.
“The younger generation of drivers, they just see that as part of their job.”
~ Debbie Wall on the involvement of drivers.
How They’re Making Changes
“It was all about the stories that we were telling and the people that we were bringing along on the journey with us.” Wall shared as we discussed what Aston Martin Aramco does. They were the first F1 team to partner with Racing Pride back in 2021, and often do events alongside them. Over time, they have learnt what the best way is to implement and display their support. Focusing more on storytelling to convey their allyship instead of slapping rainbows on everything was how they decided to proceed.
Last June, Aston Martin spearheaded their We Belong Together campaign as a part of their wider Make a Mark initiative. The campaign was aiming to show their support for Pride whilst highlighting individuals and their stories. Having a fan-first mentality, the team focuses on how they can bring the fans into their campaigns and share their experiences.
For Aston Martin Aramco, it isn’t just pride they focus on, either. They also do fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for a range of charities. They work alongside ambassadors and stakeholders and aid them in raising funds for charities that mean something to them personally, instead of choosing a solo charity per year. This is to provide continued support where it matters most.
Racing Pride and Aston Martin Aramco are two brands that are helping shape a more inclusive future for all. With more teams and brands getting involved, improvement is the only way forward.
You can read more from our Pride in Motorsport series here.