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:
- LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH: MIKE BTTLER - FORMULA 1'S ONLY KNOWN GAY MALE DRIVER
- F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER, SAYS VETTEL
- GAY NATN’S TOP FORMULA ONE DRIVERS 2021
- ARE THERE ANY GAY F1 DRIVERS?
- GAY NATN’S TOP FORMULA ONE DRIVERS IN 2022
- THERE ARE MORE 'OUT' GAY RACG DRIVERS THAN YOU THK
- GAY DRIVERS F1?
- F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER - SEBASTIAN VETTEL
- VETTEL: A GAY FORMULA ONE DRIVER WOULD BE WELED
- SEBASTIAN VETTEL - F1 READY FOR AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER
- VETTEL: A GAY FORMULA 1 DRIVER WOULD BE WELED, AND RIGHTLY SO
- F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER - SEBASTIAN VETTEL
- F1 WOULD ‘WELE’ OPENLY GAY DRIVER BUT ‘MORE WE N DO’ ON CLIVY, SAYS SEBASTIAN VETTEL
- "A GAY FORMULA ONE DRIVER WOULD BE WELED", FEELS SEBASTIAN VETTEL
- F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER - SEBASTIAN VETTEL
- SEBASTIAN VETTEL - F1 READY FOR AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER
LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH: MIKE BTTLER - FORMULA 1'S ONLY KNOWN GAY MALE DRIVER
* gay formula one 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.
F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER, SAYS VETTEL
Formula One would now wele s first openly gay driver, acrdg to Germany's four tim world champn Sebastian Vettel. * gay formula one drivers *
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.
"'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.
GAY NATN’S TOP FORMULA ONE DRIVERS 2021
As we return to racg after the Northern Hemisphere's summer break 's time to give you Gay Natn's Hottt Formula One Drivers of 2022. * gay formula one drivers *
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.
ARE THERE ANY GAY F1 DRIVERS?
On Tuday, Raphael Orlove and Bill Caswell posed the qutn on Jalopnik, “Why Aren’t There More ‘Out’ Gay Race Car Drivers?” Actually, there are more than you thk. * gay formula one drivers *
"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.
"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.
GAY NATN’S TOP FORMULA ONE DRIVERS IN 2022
SportsPro Magaze's current issue, an article speculatg that Casey Kahne may be the first gay driver NASCAR, stat that F1 currently has two... * gay formula one drivers *
Gay Natn fans love his style and after seeg his Netflix performance this year is assured we will see lots more of that personaly at Aston Mart 2021. But have there been any openly gay Formula One drivers?
At prent, the only known gay Formula One driver is Mike Bttler. 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.
THERE ARE MORE 'OUT' GAY RACG DRIVERS THAN YOU THK
Formula One would now wele s first openly gay driver, acrdg to Germany's four-time world champn Sebastian Vettel. * gay formula one drivers *
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.
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.
GAY DRIVERS F1?
F1 would "wele" a gay driver wh Sebastian Vettel sayg he really hop there isn't one already on the grid who feels he has to hi. * gay formula one drivers *
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.
It took him ne more rac to get on the top step of the podium, but as you see he is still near the top of our Gay Natn rears podium at number two on our list of top F1 drivers. Is bee he has now been wh his girliend for a year (typil gays) or is that he has grown to a good-lookg mature young man who is drivg like a gun?
A prev player on our Gay Natn list, Alex Albon got dropped om F1 for 2021 after failed stts at Toro Ross and Red Bull but is now back and performg as well as n be expected at Williams.
F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER - SEBASTIAN VETTEL
Sebastian Vettel believ that F1 is now ready to wele an openly gay driver. * gay formula one drivers *
One of our most searched F1 drivers the past, mostly the search was “Is Albon Gay? The newt entrant to our Gay Natn list, as this, is his first year F1, but certaly worthy of a spot on our list after his performanc both on and off the track.
VETTEL: A GAY FORMULA ONE DRIVER WOULD BE WELED
Formula One would now wele s first openly gay driver, acrdg to Germany's four-time world champn Sebastian Vettel. * gay formula one drivers *
Are there gay F1 drivers? I've been thkg about this topic for que some time but I realised that gay f1 drivers seem to e few and far between. 1950s: 0 gay drivers 1960s: 0 gay drivers 1970s: 0 gay drivers 1980s: 0 gay drivers 1990s: 0 gay drivers 2000s: 1 gay driver (Jaime Alguersuari) Proof 2010s: 1 gay driver (Jaime Alguersuari) 2020s: 1 gay driver (Alex Albon).
SEBASTIAN VETTEL - F1 READY FOR AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER
Mark Bttler is the only known gay driver to have peted the sport * gay formula one drivers *
If we take to nsiratn the 2 gay drivers, Jaime Alguuari and Alex Albon.
003% chance of a Formula 1 driver beg gay.
VETTEL: A GAY FORMULA 1 DRIVER WOULD BE WELED, AND RIGHTLY SO
Formula One would now wele s first openly gay driver, acrdg to Germany's four-time world champn Sebastian Vettel. * gay formula one drivers *
003% of gay Formula 1 drivers (4x0. 93 people Formula 1 are gay which nfirms the sexualy of Alex Albon and Jaime Alguersuari. On Tuday, Raphael Orlove and Bill Caswell posed the qutn on Jalopnik, “Why Aren’t There More ‘Out’ Gay Race Car Drivers?
A Next-Gen Bolt EV Is On The Way From ChevroletOffEnglishEvan Darlg is an openly gay driver known bt for his efforts road racg. In an exclive terview wh Queers4Gears, the current NASCAR Sprt Cup Champn, Brad Kelowski said, “I don’t thk anyone r (if a driver is gay. ”That statement is accurate, as the reprentatn of openly gay people the sport is not limed to recently profiled Matthew Pattison, an openly gay official who’s worked the sport for 15 years and is one of the ma officials the Timg and Srg Tower.
Queers4Gears profiled an openly gay employee at Michael Waltrip Racg — who works the anizatn wh his partner. ”But what about the sponsors you ask — would an openly gay driver be able to attract a sponsor? Will there be fans that refe to accept an openly gay driver?
F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER - SEBASTIAN VETTEL
Openly gay drivers. Nothg chang a person’s views more than them knowg and rg about a gay person their life.
But Cheney’s view on LGBT rights is squarely the progrsive mp — bee he has a gay child. Attus about gay people are changg Ameri and the grandstands at the race track will not be immune to this shift.
Gay Drivers F1? SportsPro Magaze's current issue, an article speculatg that Casey Kahne may be the first gay driver NASCAR, stat that F1 currently has two homosexuals on the grid.
F1 WOULD ‘WELE’ OPENLY GAY DRIVER BUT ‘MORE WE N DO’ ON CLIVY, SAYS SEBASTIAN VETTEL
if you figure statistics say 1/10 is gay, so that would make for 2 out of the 20 out on the grid. How would they know who is gay anyway?
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. "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.
Sebastian Vettel feels Formula 1 would wele a gay driver, such has been the progrs wh the travellg circ. His activism earned him a spot on gay magaze Attu’s ont ver, the first F1 driver to feature on . He told the magaze that he believ Formula 1 has progrsed enough that would “wele” a gay driver.
"A GAY FORMULA ONE DRIVER WOULD BE WELED", FEELS SEBASTIAN VETTEL
“Perhaps that wouldn’t have been the se the past, ” he said, ” but now I thk a gay Formula One driver would be weled — and rightly so. “I feel that a gay driver would help to speed up the elimatn of prejudice and help ph our sport a better directn.
F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER - SEBASTIAN VETTEL
So I do have hope, and therefore I would absolutely wele a gay Formula One driver. Asked if he knew of anyone on the grid, past or prent, who was gay, he replied: “No, but I’m pretty sure there mt have been some.
Sebastian Vettel - F1 ready for an openly gay driver.
SEBASTIAN VETTEL - F1 READY FOR AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER
Sebastian Vettel believ that F1 is now ready to wele an openly gay driver. Featurg on the ver of the July/Augt issue of Attu, the bt-sellg LGBTQ+ mpaigng liftyle magaze, Vettel reflected: “Perhaps wouldn’t have been the se the past, but now I thk a gay Formula One driver would be weled – and rightly so.
gay men and the wir LGBTQ muny.
Mike Bttler, a driver the early 1970s, is the only known gay male to have raced F1 but there has never been an openly homosexual petor. That was the type of reactn Richard Morris was equently met wh durg his early racg reer when he told people motorsport paddocks that he was gay.