zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
At Least 15 Women Report Being Harassed at Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix
At Least 15 Women Report Being Harassed at Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix-January 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:10:48

Image for article titled At Least 15 Women Report Being Harassed at Formula 1 Dutch Grand Prix

A motorsport fan club called Formula 1 Women has received at least 15 reports of by fans at this past weekend’s Dutch Grand Prix, online publication . Now, the club’s founder, Svenja Tillemans, wants to speak to race organizers about ways to curb abusive behaviors that have plagued F1 all season.

According to Tillemans, multiple women noted that they had been inappropriately touched, endured verbal harassment, or even had beer poured on them while spectating at the Dutch Grand Prix. Knowing that there was potential for this kind of fan behavior after this year’s , Dutch Grand Prix organizers at Zandvoort set up a special phone number for spectators to report harassment. However, the effort didn’t exactly work out. From the NU.nl article (translated from Dutch):

Tillemans heard stories of women who were pinched in the buttocks or had beer [poured] on them. The circuit communicated a special phone number where women could complain. “Five reports came in here, but there was almost no coverage on the track,” says Tillemans.

“I know that a number of women have gone to security guards, but they referred them to the police, who were outside. Then you get the ‘never mind’ effect and that’s a shame.”

For their part, local police say they’ve received no formal complaints of harassment — but if women had to leave the circuit during the race in order to file a complaint with police, Tillemans notes, it makes sense that no spectators chose to go that route.

Another Dutch site, , notes that Tillemans has heard from at least 25 women since Friday. The site spoke to women who experienced harassment at the track (again, translated from Dutch):

One of the women who were harassed in Zandvoort last weekend is 21-year-old Naomi, who does not want to be called by her last name for privacy reasons. She attended the race with her father. “I had been looking forward to it for two years,” she says. “But after last weekend’s experience, I don’t think I want to go to Formula 1 again.”

That has to do with the comments men yelled at her. “I have inflammations in my knees, so there are bandages on [them]. I heard men say: “She had a nice time on her knees this afternoon,” “So, she was busy last night,” and “Oh, you can do without those plasters.” [...]

Naomi says this happened when she was without her father, such as going to the toilet or getting food and drink. “They really picked out the moments when I was alone,” she says. “I have never felt so dirty, humiliated and inferior at an event. And unsafe. That is why we went home as soon as possible after the race.”

The phenomenon of abuse at the track isn’t new; at this year’s Austrian Grand Prix, .

Unfortunately, the people reporting these incidents have also been subjected to a different kind of scrutiny online: somehow, some F1 fans have interpreted these complaints as being fabricated in order to condemn Dutch fans or Max Verstappen fans — often ignoring the fact that plenty of these victims and spokespeople, , count themselves among those demographics.

This trackside experience is nothing new for many longtime fans who defy the conventional mental image of a motorsport fan — but the Dutch Grand Prix is yet another example of the fact that mindsets and approaches desperately need to change. A phone number to report harassment isn’t enough.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
The partially North Carolina-based squad has determined that after , it needs to mix things up a little. The team’s firebrand has been following an abysmal 2023 season which saw the team score just four points-paying finishes. The team’s , where scored a fourth-place finish, but that season too...
Jan 17, 2025
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Fellow nerds, get ready to open your wallets, because I’ve found what may be the greatest store of all time. With designs from Formula 1 teams like , you’re sure to find something that fits your particular nostalgic niche. I’d like to introduce you to Racing Retro. I first...
Jan 17, 2025
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
In another unsurprising example of motorsport’s inhospitable mindset toward hiring competent women, the Racing team has announced a new partnership with Ava Rose, a literal , who will... engage with fans? Share knowledge about technology? “Navigate the cutting edge of innovation to create positive change” (whatever that means)? I...
Jan 17, 2025
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
Name a car from the early 1960s built by a famed racing driver with curvy, lightweight aluminum bodywork, a big American engine, and a reputation for being unruly and fast as all hell. Your first thought was probably the famed Shelby Cobra, did you know there was a who...
Jan 17, 2025
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
If you follow racing in the U.S., you probably already know about the . Most of the episodes are too much of a distraction to put on as background noise while you work, but a couple of recent entries in his series have been working incredibly well for me....
Jan 17, 2025
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
If you listen to Formula 1 or local officials from Las Vegas and Clark County, you’d probably think November’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix was a success. Some sources estimated that the city of Las Vegas made over $1 billion in revenue from the event — but there were...
Jan 17, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved