An academic perspective on diversity (management) in motorsport.

1. Diversity
(management)
in Motorsport
Michael Ahmadi
linkedin.com/in/ahmadimichael/

2. 1.
Diversity in Motorsport
The figures, the reasons… What we know
2

3. Underrepresentation of diverse
motorsport personnel
• Just a small number of licensed motor sports drivers worldwide
are female
• Just 3% of minority ethnic groups in Mercedes F1 team (Hamilton Foundation)
• Young drivers require approx. €7 Mio. to enter and rise up
through the ranks (ajg.com)
• No MENA (Middle East and North Africa) citizen currently in a
management or engineering position in F1 (Hassan & O‘Connor 2021)
3

4. 4
F1 teams
WD champions
Eurocentrism in F1

5. Exemplary drivers of exclusion in
motorsport
5
Role models
Stereotypes & role
expectations
Networks
Socio-economic
factors
Masculinity
Sponsorship and
costs
Terminology/media
representation

6. Four layers of diversity
6
Image: gardenswartzrowe.com

7. 7

8. “
“People are often biased against others
outside of their own social group,
showing prejudice (emotional bias),
stereotypes (cognitive bias), and
discrimination (behavioral bias).”
(Fiske 2022)
8

9. (Gender) Socialization
• Contribution from feminism and
feminist/gender research (Webb 1993)
• Doing gender (West & Zimmermann 1987)
• Gender performativity (Butler 1990)
• (Un)Doing age etc.
9

10. Masculinity
• Courage/bravado
• Leadership
• Strength
• Self-confidence
• (Sexual) Assertiveness
• Interest in sports,
technology etc.
Social construction of gender (Schein 1973)
Femininity
• Emotionality
• Sensivity, Neatness
• Empathy
• Helpfulness
• Sexual objectification
• Interest in creative and
“social” tasks etc.
10

11. “
“Depictions of drivers as 'real men' exhibiting
bravado, machoism and risk-taking still prevail in
Formula One. In contrast, women are
predominantly limited to subsidiary and largely
ornamental roles (…).”
(Sturm 2021)
11

12. 12
This violates gender norms.
This seems “adequate.”

13. Co-construction of technology
and society
• STEM is associated with “white” masculinity (e.g., Cockburn 1983, 2009, Wajcman 2009)
• Marginalization of certain populations in terms of technology production
and usage (e.g., Criado Perez 2019)
• Women and people of color tend to have lower self-efficacy in STEM (e.g., Wilson et al.
2015, Hamilton Foundation 2021)
• Lack of diverse role models
➢ Technology is not “neutral” and has a certain political power (e.g., Suchman 1993, Bratteig 2002)
13

14. Social construction
of the motorcar
• Motorcar as masculine construction
(Matthew & Pikes 2016, Charters 2006, Pflugfelder2009)
• Male, white participants establish the
‘rules’ of the sub-culture (behaviors,
styles and practices) which denote
“authenticity” (Lumsden 2010)
• Passenger seat associated with women
(Lumsden 2010, Scharff 1991)
14

15. Feminist design in motorsport
(Tian et al. 2009, Huebner et al. 2017)
15

16. Different forms of masculinity
16
Heteronormative
Masculinity
Orthodox/Inclusive
masculinity
etc.
Hegemonic masculinity
Toxic masculinity
Hypermasculinity
Sporting masculinity

17. Masculinity and sport (e.g., Anderson 2009, MacDonald 2014, Messner 1992)
17

18. 18

19. Outdated sexism?
“The only helmet a
woman should
wear is the one at
the hairdresser's. “
19
Male race official
to female formula
1 driver Maria
Teresa De Filippis
after barring her
from racing at the
1958 French
Grand Prix
“I never let my gender
define me but in my
whole driving career I
only ever did one
interview not being
asked about being a
female.”
Ex-racer SusieWolff
in 2022
“You know I've got one of those
wonderful ideas ... women
should be dressed in white like
all the other domestic
appliances.”
“What I would really like to see
happen is to find the right girl,
perhaps a black girl with super
looks, preferably Jewish or
Muslim, who speaks Spanish.”
Bernie Ecclestone 2000- 2016
“Motorsport is a bit
too sweaty and
dangerous for
women, although
they may have their
place in the pits.”
The Times article
from 1975
“Feminine nerves
are sadly liable to
lapses through such
prolonged trials
ambitious motor-
driving entails.”
The Times article
from 1907

20. Physical performance
• Female drivers are not
inferior (Ferguson et al. 2019)
• Ramadan does not
necessarily affect
performances of
athletes (Chaouachi et al. 2012)
• Successful disabled
drivers
20
Image: BMW AG

21. 21
With their helmet and
racing suit on, you cannot
make any statements
about a driver‘s gender,
skin color or perhaps
even potential disability.

22. Institutional practices in sport organizations
• Professional sport is an institution with complex
structures
• Variety of stakeholders
• Institutionalized = Habit, history, and tradition (Cunningham 2007)
• Hegemonic masculinity = power structures (Connell & Messerschmidt 2005)
22

23. Masculinity, Hierarchy, and the
Auto Racing Fraternity (Shackleford 1999)
23

24. 24
Image: @f1
It's the best
every time,
my decision.

25. “
“Today’s power circle of FIA men and women has
known each other since the 1970s, and constitutes (…) a
small group of people with tremendous influence on
the FIA, its activities and on how the world of
motorsport should deal with its inherent paradoxes. On
whatever side of the table they have been seated, they
have enjoyed insider privileges (and negatives) for
quite some time.”
(Næss 2020)
25

26. “
“Many motorsports are global mega-
events underpinned by elements of
commercialization, corporization,
prestige, mass popular appeal, extensive
media coverage etc.”
(Sturm 2021)
26

27. “
“All it took was the N-word. When you get addressed by
that name you know what it's about. (…) They made it
clear: 'We really don't want you here. Why are coming
to our sport? Can't you play basketball or football?“
Willy T. Ribbs
27

28. Terminology/Media represenation

29. “Examination of the function of the hero within the narrative of (…) motor racing points to
the complex interplay of class, gender and nation in the construction of sporting
masculinity.” (Kennedy 2000)
29

30. Femininity (Kochanek et al. 2021), inclusive masculinity and
metrosexuality in motorsport
30
"I like being feminine,
it's my way of not
conforming to the
stereotype that if you're
a racing driver you don't
care how you look."
Susie Wolff
Image: @SophiaFloersch

31. “You definitely have to work a
little bit harder. It doesn’t
matter if you are a driver, of if
you are in PR, or if you are in a
technical role. You definitely
have to go the extra mile
because it is largely a
community of men. (…) I
hesitate to categorize the entire
industry like that, but there are
people I’ve worked with in or
around Indycar that have given
me issues, because I’m young,
and because I’m a female.”
Natalie Fenaroli
“Those women who
entered racing had to work
harder to prove themselves
in competition and to
attract sponsors. To
explain this, one must
examine the experience of
women in wider society,
especially their relationship
to the automobile, and the
culture of the sport, all of
which placed disincentives
in their path.”
(Charters 2006)

32. Exemplary drivers of exclusion in
motorsport
32
Role models
Stereotypes & role
expectations
Networks
Socio-economic
factors
Masculinity
Sponsorship and
costs
Terminology/media
representation
Competition and aggressiveness
= double binds
Marginalized populations
in subsidiary roles
Male, white driver =
heroic, bravado etc.
Stereotypes about
(technical) competences
Lacking self-efficacy

33. Diverse teams
have the potential to be
more innovative and create
better performance.
33

34. 2.
Diversity Management in
Motorsport
What are possible solutions?
34

35. “
“Proactive sport organizations (…) value diversity to the fullest extent;
have policies, procedures, and practices aimed at developing a diverse
workforce .”
(Cunningham 2007)
35

36. Practices/Instruments (e.g., Franken 2015, Köllen 2021, Yadav & Lenka 2020)
36
Employer branding
Awareness building
(diversity and anti
bias trainings)
etc.
Empowerment of disadvantaged groups
(e.g., quotas, networking initiative or
mentoring programs, work councils,
ombudpersons)
Work life balance
initiatives
Scrutinizing processes
(e.g., hiring, promotion etc.)
Corporate guidelines,
behavior politics, vision
statement

37. The benefit of blind
auditions
The introduction of blind
auditions is stated as a
significant reason for the
increase of female musicians
in high-ranked orchestras in
the USA from 1970 to 1993.
37

38. Exemplary drivers of exclusion in
motorsport
38
Role models
Stereotypes & role
expectations
Networks
Socio-economic
factors
Masculinity
Sponsorship and
costs
Terminology/media
representation
Employer branding
Awareness building
(diversity and anti bias
trainings)
Empowerment of disadvantaged groups
(e.g., via networking initiative or mentoring programs)
Work life balance initiatives
Processes
Corporate guidelines and
behavior politics

39. “
“A lot of people were keen to
point out that we don’t need to keep reinventing
the wheel. Some people, somewhere in the world,
have already thought of a solution, so let’s find
them and bring them into the fold.“
Results of a FIA workshop in 2019
39

40. 40

41. Terminology
41

42. Implications FIA Member Clubs Study (MENA region)
• Key areas
• Talent Identification and support
• Promotion of a STEM agenda
• Establishment of a fund
• Implications
• Low-cost vehicles
• National events and competition
(especially karting)
• Scholarships and university
collaborations
42
Image: fia.com

43. “
“Karting budgets of £50,000 for kids is just
nonsense. That immediately wipes out probably
90% of the potential aces – and the number just
dwindles further as the steps up the ladder
become yet-more obscenely expensive.”
Mark Hughes
43

44. “
“It can be argued with a high degree of confidence
that other regions outside the traditional
European markets face similar barriers, including
the Americas, Ex-CIS countries and Asia.”
44

45. Lessons Learned Hamilton Commission
• Key areas
• Support and Empowerment
• Accountability and Measurement
• Inspiration and Engagement
• Implications
• Funds, courses, scholarship program and
mentoring programs
• Charters
• Visibility of best practices
45

46. The importance of role models
“Having role
models is great
because having
people who blaze
trails before you is
inspiring.”
Willy T. Ribbs
46
“Disabled drivers have got in contact,
told their story and then reached out
to other disabled people, showing
them what is possible in motorsport.
(…) The more visibility we have of
women, of disabled drivers in the
sport, the more it's going to grow.”
Nathalie McGloin
“Me being there (Le Mans)
visible as a trans woman, a lot
of good can come of that. I feel
it is almost a responsibility.”
Charlie Martin
"Being around the other
women in motorsport—which
I had never really seen any of
at that point—changed how I
viewed racing, and how I
approached it. (…) If I hadn’t
participated in that program, I
would not be where I am
today in motorsport.“
Natalie Fenaroli

47. 47

48. 48

49. 49
Image: @f1

50. 50
Image: @f1

51. Pitfalls, backlash and out of
the box approaches
Whose perspectives are represented?
51

52. “We feel this custom does not resonate with our brand values and clearly is at odds
with modern-day societal norms. We don’t believe the practice is appropriate or
relevant to Formula 1 and its fans, old and new, across the world.”
Liberty Media statement
52
Image: Bertram Nudelbach, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

53. Resistance from grid girls (Jakubowska 2018)
53
Image: Bertram Nudelbach, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

54. Segregation in motorsports
54
Image: Jen_ross83, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

55. Some other ideas and their pitfalls
• Quotas/financial support for fostering
diversity and “fair play”
➢ In conflict with potential tokenism
• “Utopian” sport theories (e.g., English 2017, Gammelsæter 2021)
➢ In conflict with the competitive nature and
business models of sport
55

56. References/Suggested literature
56
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Butler, J. (1990). Gender Trouble. Routledge.
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Cockburn, C. (1983). Brothers: Male Dominance and Technological Change. Pluto Press.
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Criado Perez, C. (2019). Invisible Women: Exposing data bias in a world designed for men. Chattoo
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Ferguson, D. P., Barthel, S. C., Pruett, M. L., Buckingham, T. M., & Waaso, P. R. (2019). Physiological
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FIA PurposeDriven: https://purposedriven.fia.com/page/diversity-inclusion
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57. References/Suggested literature
57
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Köllen, T. (2021). Diversity Management: A Critical Review and Agenda for the Future. Journal of
Management Inquiry, 30(3), 259–272. https://doi.org/10.1177/1056492619868025
Lindsey, L. (2015). The Sociology of Gender Theoretical Perspectives and Feminist Frameworks.
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58. Thank you!
58