It’s Sunday during the post-Spanish GP coverage, and Sky Sport Italia anchor Federica Masolin is presenting the broadcast together with both former drivers Davide Valsecchi and Matteo Bobbi. The latter suddenly interrupts the chat about the race to make a sexist comment about a girl who ended up in the background of where the camera was positioned, that it will be discovered to be the Italian-Spanish rally driver Christine Zonca.
“I wanted to tell Davide, that behind him there is a nice package of updates if he turns around,” Bobbi began inviting his colleague to turn around to observe the girl in question and then adding: “I know them, unfortunately they told me that you can’t test them.
Despite Masolin’s rebuke, the exchange didn’t stop as Bobbi commented: “I’ll take a lot of blows if I get home,” while Valsecchi followed it up with: “I’ve already had the eye operation twice because I’ve lost my sight since I was a child looking at those things.”
The video became viral on social media, causing deep disapproval, so much so that the two commentators decided to intervene to apologise and try to make amends.
“I’m so sorry. I fell into an exchange of tacky jokes and used unsuitable and disrespectful words. That’s why I would like to apologize to those who felt offended, to women and to Sky,” Valsecchi wrote in an Instagram story.
And so did his colleague Bobbi: “Although it was not in my intentions, I generated an unpleasant moment that made suffering to the sensibilities of some people. I sincerely apologise to those who felt offended by reiterating my total and deep respect for all and all women.”
Sky Italia have decided to suspend both for the Canadian Grand Prix next weekend.
It is indisputable that we are have witnessed a deep lack of respect and professionalism.
Despite this, many people pointed out at the matter as an unnecessary controversy and an exaggeration, dismissing it as ‘an innocent joke’.
‘Now nothing can be said anymore’: when would it ever have been right to make comments of this kind towards a woman? And how could it ever be right to do it in a context like the one in which it happened?
It’s not a compliment, it’s an unnecessary and disrespectful comment. It’s not being dramatic or exaggerating, it’s being saturated with having to constantly carry on a battle against stereotypes. It’s not about being politically correct, it’s simply about being a respectful human.
As the matter happened in the Motorsport world it surely has even more resonance, showing once again that there is still a long way to go on the path of acceptance and equality for women in such a male-dominated environment.
Women in motorsport particularly struggle to gain credibility both in the eyes of the public and insiders, so that the occurrence of these kind of situations and comments not only are synonymous of an environment that is not yet completely egalitarian, free from prejudice and stereotypes, but it feels like there is not any progress.
It doesn’t matter your sex, if you are a man or a woman, we all live in the same society and it should be a matter for everyone to try and improve the environment in which we live and make it a place where you can live freely, and also to enjoy your passion and work.
We all, as humans, should be indignant and denounce this form of behavior if we really want things to change.
