BBC Sport looks at the reer of Mike Bttler, Formula 1's only known gay male driver, and his impact on today's LGBT+ motorsport muny.
Contents:
- ARE THERE ANY GAY F1 DRIVERS?
- LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH: MIKE BTTLER - FORMULA 1'S ONLY KNOWN GAY MALE DRIVER
- F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER, SAYS VETTEL
- F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER - SEBASTIAN VETTEL
- ARE THERE ANY GAY DRIVERS FORMULA ONE?
- SEBASTIAN VETTEL SAYS F1 WOULD WELE GAY DRIVER
- SEBASTIAN VETTEL - F1 READY FOR AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER
- GAY NATN’S TOP FORMULA ONE DRIVERS 2021
- GAY DRIVERS F1?
- "A GAY FORMULA ONE DRIVER WOULD BE WELED", FEELS SEBASTIAN VETTEL
- VETTEL: A GAY FORMULA ONE DRIVER WOULD BE WELED
- VETTEL: A GAY FORMULA 1 DRIVER WOULD BE WELED, AND RIGHTLY SO
ARE THERE ANY GAY F1 DRIVERS?
* formula one gay drivers *
But have there been any openly gay Formula One drivers? At prent, the only known gay Formula One driver is Mike Bttler.
LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH: MIKE BTTLER - FORMULA 1'S ONLY KNOWN GAY MALE DRIVER
Formula One would now wele s first openly gay driver, acrdg to Germany's four tim world champn Sebastian Vettel. * formula one gay drivers *
Let’s explore the greater tail below:If you’re lookg for some F1 merchandise, check out the awome stuff at the official F1 store Formula One Drivers In History Were Gay? At prent, the only Formula One driver who is known to be gay is Mike Bttler.
Whereafter the 1973 oil crisis Bra forced his retirement at the age of to the stigma associated wh homosexualy, Mike Bttler was not openly gay, although close iends, fellow racers, and fay were said to have been aware of his sexualy.
Followg his retirement, Mike Bttler moved to the Uned Stat of Ameri, where he would later die of plitns of HIV/Aids on the 29th of September Current Formula One Drivers Are Gay? At prent, there are no Formula One drivers or practice drivers that have openly e out as There Gay Drivers Competg In Formula W? Unlike their male unterparts, there have been two female Formula W drivers who have e out as openly gay/lbian:Abbie Eaton is a Brish racg driver who raced unr Écurie W the 2021 W Seri and unr Scuria W the 2022 W Seri.
F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER, SAYS VETTEL
Formula One would now wele s first openly gay driver, acrdg to Germany's four-time world champn Sebastian Vettel. * formula one gay drivers *
While would be difficult to discs all his gtur a sgle article, there are some moments of LGBTQ+ support that are worth 2020 and 2021, Lewis Haton wore a helmet adorned wh the rabow lors of the gay pri flag and the wordg “We Stand Together” at the Qatar GP.
The reason was to take a stance agast the Kgdom of Qatar’s openly homophobic law, which Lewis Haton scribed as “terrifyg. ”Siar to Lewis Haton’s cricism of Hungary’s referendum 2021, Sebastian Vettel wore a gay pri-themed face mask and t-shirt at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, along wh the followg statement:“Everyone has the same right to love. Although the FIA’s official stance on the broar LGBTQ+ muny and the importance of gay reprentatn Formula One, their cisn to renew/extend ntracts for Grand Prix openly homophobic untri has been met wh cricism om drivers, fans, and crics alike.
ConclnIn ncln, while there are not any gay Formula One drivers petg prently and very few gay drivers across Formula One’s history/different divisns, there is support for the broar LGBTQ+ muny through Racg Pri and Formula One would dite a progrsive step forward for LGBTQ+ reprentatn and support, spe the FIA’s ntroversial cisns regardg Grand Prix approval and certa staff appotments.
F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER - SEBASTIAN VETTEL
'Perhaps wouldnu2019t have been the se the past, but now I thk a gay Formula One driver would be weled, and rightly so.' * formula one gay drivers *
Bttler remas the only known gay male driver to have peted at the hight level of did so at a time when F1 was an pecially macho environment.
"I knew he was gay, but didn't matter my world. "The racg world of the 2020s is a very different place to that of the Bishop, a Racg Pri ambassador and Aston Mart F1 chief munitns officer, said: "In the early 1970s, people didn't talk about beg gay.
"In the Uned Kgdom, was only 1967 that homosexualy was legalised between two nsentg adults private. Overall, he sred five top-10 fish his then the UK was plunged to fancial turmoil by the 1973 oil crisis, and his team did not have the money to stay the 34, Bttler retired om Bradshaw, a motorsport PR nsultant who first met Bttler the early 1970s, said: "There was no stigma wh Mike, he was a nice gentle person - everyone knew he was gay, wasn't a secret and was accepted. "I spect would have been easier for him to live the liftyle he wanted LA and San Francis, whereas beg gay London was a more secretive thg, " said Phillips.
ARE THERE ANY GAY DRIVERS FORMULA ONE?
Sebastian Vettel believ that F1 is now ready to wele an openly gay driver. * formula one gay drivers *
"'LGBT+ people have always been part of motorsport'Brr Endurance Champnship driver and Racg Pri -founr Richard Morris has had lots of support wh motorsport after g out as gay 2018Sce Bttler's ath, several motorsport drivers have e out as Mans class wner Danny Watts me out 2017, a year after retirg, while the W Seri there is LGBT+ reprentatn on track fellow Brish drivers Abbie Eaton and Sarah Moore. Richard Morris, -founr of Racg Pri and a driver for the Praga team the Brr Endurance Champnship, me out as gay 2018, when already tablished motorsport.
Some people knew I was gay but I wasn't out - I thk that is very siar to Bttler's experience.
"If he was alive, he would have been terviewed about Sectn 28 and gay marriage. "Sectn 28 was a law that affected England, Wal and Stland, passed 1988 by a Conservative ernment that stopped uncils and schools "promotg the teachg of the acceptabily of homosexualy as a pretend fay relatnship" were mass protts by LGBT+ mpaigners and the law was repealed Stland 2000, before England and Wal did the same 2003. LONDON, June 8 (Rters) - Formula One would now wele s first openly gay driver, acrdg to Germany's four tim world champn Sebastian champnship, which started 1950, has had only male drivers on the startg grid sce 1976 but has ma a ph for diversy and cln wh teams showg support for the LGBTQ Mart driver Vettel last year wore a rabow-loured T shirt Hungary wh the msage 'same love' to prott anti-LGBTQ+ legislatn.
SEBASTIAN VETTEL SAYS F1 WOULD WELE GAY DRIVER
SportsPro Magaze's current issue, an article speculatg that Casey Kahne may be the first gay driver NASCAR, stat that F1 currently has two... * formula one gay drivers *
"Perhaps wouldn’t have been the se the past, but now I thk a gay Formula One driver would be weled, and rightly so, " Vettel said an terview wh LGBTQ magaze Attu that featured him on s ver.
"I feel that a gay driver would help to speed up the elimatn of prejudice and help ph our sport a better directn.
"Blackpool forward Jake Daniels last month beme the first active male profsnal player English soccer 32 years to announce he is gay. FLORION GOGA/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagRtersJun 8, 2022, 03:54 PM ETFormula One would now wele s first openly gay driver, acrdg to Germany's four-time world champn Sebastian champnship, which started 1950, has had only male drivers on the startg grid sce 1976 but has ma a ph for diversy and cln wh teams showg support for the LGBTQ Mart driver Vettel last year wore a rabow-loured T shirt Hungary wh the msage "same love" to prott anti-LGBTQ+ 34-year-old father of three has also peted wh Racg Pri logos on his r.
SEBASTIAN VETTEL - F1 READY FOR AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER
"Perhaps wouldn't have been the se the past, but now I thk a gay Formula One driver would be weled, and rightly so, " Vettel said an terview wh LGBTQ magaze Attu that featured him on s ver. "Blackpool forward Jake Daniels last month beme the first active male profsnal player English football 32 years to announce he is gay.
F1 drivers have often advoted for the rights of the LGBTQ+ muny – however, how many gay drivers have actually been a part of Formula One? Even the current grid, there is no prence of any gay BttlerMike Bttler peted 29 rac, wh a top fishg of seventh place at the 1973 Spanish Grand Prix.
GAY NATN’S TOP FORMULA ONE DRIVERS 2021
Whereafter the 1973 oil crisis Bra forced his retirement at the age of to the stigma associated wh homosexualy, Mike Bttler was not openly gay, although close iends, fellow racers, and fay were said to have been aware of his Formula W, there have been two drivers who have e out as openly gay/lbian.
Vettel announced his retirement this season and won’t be a part of the F1 grid 2023, so the on is on Haton to take the fight Haton’s cricism of Hungary’s referendum 2021 and Qatar Government’s homophobic laws is one of the notable pro-LGBTQ activi F1. On the other hand, Sebastian Vettel wore a gay pri-themed face mask and t-shirt at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix, along wh the followg statement:“Everyone has the same right to love.
GAY DRIVERS F1?
Are there or has been any gay drivers formula 1? I wonr if there are drivers wh a homosexual orientatn.
London – Formula One would now wele s first openly gay driver, acrdg to four-time world champn Sebastian champnship, which started 1950, has had only male drivers on the startg grid sce 1976 but has ma a ph for diversy and cln wh teams showg support for the LGBTQ year, Aston Mart' Vettel wore a rabow-lored T-shirt Hungary wh the msage "same love" to prott anti-LGBTQ+ legislatn.
"A GAY FORMULA ONE DRIVER WOULD BE WELED", FEELS SEBASTIAN VETTEL
Several officials si racg anisatns say that spe drivers like Lewis Haton and Sebastian Vettel, both of whom have worn Pri lours at var rac this season, beg supportive alli, many queer people team garag feel more fortable stayg Bishop, Aston Mart's chief munitns officer, has worked motorsport for over 25 years, and as "the only [out] gay the F1 village" the 1990s, he has often field msag om people stgglg to e out to lleagu after years the dtry.
"Richard Morris, a gay racg driver and founr of Racg Pri, scrib how a simple e of language n e some people to feel like g out is not an optn. Bee you're aaid that if you say you're gay, and they don't support you, then they're not gog to give you that drive or they won't treat you the same as your teammate.
"So I did enunter some homophobia. "Emmanouilis, an Atralian wh Greek herage, did not e out to her fay until after universy, but to everyone else she has always been open about beg gay.
VETTEL: A GAY FORMULA ONE DRIVER WOULD BE WELED
"To be a woman, to be a gay woman, F1 is important to me, not jt bee I want to be accsible to others and be that visibily, but to help other people who want to be my posn. "Y, you n be a woman a male-domated dtry, or a gay man or non-bary, transgenr, but, at the end of the day, everyone lov motorsport and I thk that's really important to foc on.
VETTEL: A GAY FORMULA 1 DRIVER WOULD BE WELED, AND RIGHTLY SO
"Formula 1, as an anisatn, has taken steps to addrs s lack of diversy, lnchg the We Race As One iative 2020 to raise awarens for racial equaly and discrimatn of all kds, cludg anti-gay said their statement: "It will not be a one-week or one-year theme that disappears as issu disappear om headl, will unrp the Formula 1 strategy to make a tangible difference our sport and society. Vettel and his Aston Mart team have been champng Pri across the season, wh Vettel's rabow T-shirt and attire at the Hungarian Grand Prix worn to prott the untry's anti-gay laws that were passed June.
"As a gay person, you don't jt e out one time. Sponsors, vtors, race partners, host untri, all fund the sport and toeg the le uld prove difficult on some ocsns, such as the ncerns for racg untri wh anti-gay example, Qatar, which outlaws homosexualy, announced that rabow flags would be allowed at the 2022 FIFA World Cup to rpect "the difference people's cultur, " but gay cizens still live fearful liv. "The same go for fans too, says Emmanouilis: "Image how many gay people were watchg when Aston Mart had the rabow on their r, perhaps unsure about whether there was a place for them.