9 June 2022

BWT Alpine F1 Team is honoured to celebrate Pride Month this June with symbols of allyship. The team has also partnered with Racing Pride, whose mission is to promote the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in motorsports. Alpine works with Racing Pride to better understand the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in the sport, to combat prejudice and make Alpine a safe and welcoming workplace for all, no matter one’s sexual orientation, gender expression or gender identity.

 

The first step was to conduct a consultation in all key sectors of the company, at every level, to gain insight into the challenges and prejudices present on Alpine sites. At the same time, Racing Pride proceeded with a deep examination of the team’s existing policies, working with several departments to guide its future policies to support diversity and inclusion well beyond Pride Month.

 

At the end of 2021, a survey conducted with Alpine staff provided some initial indicators showing that, while the majority feel respected, valued and appreciated at work, many employees spoke of a historically male-dominated culture and the omnipresence of ridicule.

 

Initiatives have been implemented to begin to counteract this and encourage more empathy by helping the team members to understand and appreciate the orientations of different communities.

 

At the start of the year, the team also appointed a diversity and inclusion committee. Its members panel is comprised of staff from various backgrounds, including from the LGBTQ+ community, people of colour, as well as women and single parents, in recognition of the importance of individuals in creating an open and welcoming workplace. The objective is to identify the main areas of progress required to create and maintain a positive and inclusive workplace and to ensure equality of opportunity in motorsports for future generations.

Throughout Pride Month, Alpine will recognise and highlight the contributions of its LGBTQ+ staff members. Management has already participated in a series of training sessions to learn about the challenges and conversations surrounding inclusivity. In turn, Racing Pride is guiding the team’s HR department through its process of adopting inclusion policies intended to help members of the LGBTQ+ community feel valued and comfortable being themselves at work.

 

Symbols of allyship, such as rainbow lanyards and badges, are available to staff who wish to show their support, providing a way for all team members to take part in Pride Month. The rainbow flag was also raised at Enstone, while the A522s will proudly bear the colourful symbol on their bodywork in every race throughout the month of June.

 

Laurent Rossi, CEO of Alpine:

 

 

“For too long, representation in motorsport has not mirrored the diversity of our broader society. There are many reasons for this, but we need to move forward and challenge preconceptions. Our adventure starts here. Our industry has failed to provide the LGBTQ+ community with visible representation and support, and we need to change this. We want Alpine to be an open, inclusive and productive workplace, where our employees feel happy and supported. A happy environment promotes creativity, and this is exactly what we need moving forward. To achieve this, we must fully understand the challenges faced by under-represented groups in motorsport. Pride Month is a great starting point. We know we have more work to do in order to give this community a voice and representation.”