'We condemn this behaviour in the strongest terms and acted immediately upon the complaint'
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Mercedes has dismissed four members of its Formula One staff and reprimanded three others after the employees were found to have engaged in racist bullying against a co-worker.
The F1 team behind world champion Lewis Hamilton confirmed the employees, who reportedly worked for the IT department, were terminated on 2 August for actions directed toward a Muslim colleague.
An internal investigation at the UK headquarters revealed the staff in question violated the company’s diversity policy after calling their co-worker a ‘Muslim terrorist’ and running a poll about the co-worker breaking his Ramadan fast.
“We condemn this behaviour in the strongest terms and acted immediately upon the complaint. We value the diversity of our employees and it is a source of strength for our team,” Mercedes said in a statement.
In March, Hamilton – the first black F1 racer – expressed dismay over racism in the sports world. “It is crazy to think that at this time in the world, racism is still such a prominent thing,” he said.
