Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali has revealed to Sky Sports that the sport will be shifting its anti-racism focus in 2022 amid the push for more diversity, insisting it is now time for "action" rather than "gestures".
Since the start of the 2020 season, F1 has run a 'We Race As One' initiative and anti-racism message before races, with drivers then forming at the front of the grid where the majority have taken a knee.
But Domenicali has confirmed the sport is changing its stance, as while drivers are still free to take a knee, they will no longer be presented the formal opportunity to do so in a pre-race ceremony.
Speaking exclusively to Sky Sports News' Craig Slater, F1's president and CEO said: "I think the gesture has been an important gesture because we need to respect everyone, as always.
"But now is the time to move on and take some other action."
Domenicali, whose interview coincides with F1's new diversity push with an extension to its engineering scholarship programme, added: "We needed to make sure that what we did was important to show the intention of Formula 1 in things that were really important for the world.
"I think now it's the matter of [changing] gesture, to action. Now the action is the focus on the diversity of our community, and this is the first step."
Sky Sports understands Mercedes, whose driver Lewis Hamilton has been at the forefront of the push for more diversity and inclusion in the sport and beyond, supports F1's stance.
F1's engineering scholarship programme for under-represented groups started last year and will now be extended until at least 2025, enabling scholarships to be offered to 10 students each year.
