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
- ARE THERE ANY GAY F1 DRIVERS?
- GAY NATN’S TOP FORMULA ONE DRIVERS IN 2022
- F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER - SEBASTIAN VETTEL
- F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER, SAYS VETTEL
- SEBASTIAN VETTEL - F1 READY FOR AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER
LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH: MIKE BTTLER - FORMULA 1'S ONLY KNOWN GAY MALE DRIVER
* has there been a gay f1 driver *
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 F1 DRIVERS?
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. * has there been a gay f1 driver *
"'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. But have there been any openly gay Formula One drivers? At prent, the only known gay Formula One driver is Mike Bttler.
GAY NATN’S TOP FORMULA ONE DRIVERS IN 2022
Formula One would now wele s first openly gay driver, acrdg to Germany's four-time world champn Sebastian Vettel. * has there been a gay f1 driver *
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.
F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER - SEBASTIAN VETTEL
Formula One would now wele s first openly gay driver, acrdg to Germany's four tim world champn Sebastian Vettel. * has there been a gay f1 driver *
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?
F1 WOULD WELE AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER, SAYS VETTEL
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.
SEBASTIAN VETTEL - F1 READY FOR AN OPENLY GAY DRIVER
”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. 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.