Every four years, some of the most popular sports in the world come together for the Olympics to compete for more than two weeks, but one sport is always excluded.
Olympic sports like swimming, diving, gymnastics, cycling, and athletics are mainstays, and spectators have reacted favourably to recent additions like skateboarding and BMX riding.
Since 1900, football has been a part of the Olympic schedule; women’s football has participated in every tournament since 1996. The 2028 schedule also includes rugby, tennis, golf, and cricket.
However, one event that has never been represented in the Olympics is motorsport, namely Formula One.
Compared to other Olympic sports, Formula One would be more difficult to defend as an Olympic event because of the cars’ competitive disparities and the impossibility of having 20 cars with stock parts.
However, there is a precise reason why motorsports are prohibited from the Games that was previously stated in the Olympic charter.
It read: “Sports, disciplines or events in which performance depends essentially on mechanical propulsion are not acceptable.”
Motor Sports History At The Olympics
The provision was abolished in recent years, but it is still stated in the Charter as provision 47.4.2.
The FIA, which oversees Formula One, was recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2012. Electric karting was included as a demonstration sport this year at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics.
The electric karting event’s goal was to advance it towards inclusion in the Paris 2024 program. But in the end, that turned out not to be the case.
There was a motor racing competition at the Paris Olympics in 1900.
Manufacturers were named as entrants in the events, which were mostly point-to-point races behind Paris and Toulouse.
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Since the majority of the results were not made public and the races were never recognized as official by the IOC, information regarding the winners of all 14 races is not accessible. Medals were given to the drivers.
Louis Renault, the creator of Renault, won a race while operating a Renault.
Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton are two of the F1 drivers who are mostly opposed to the sport’s inclusion in the Olympics.
Verstappen said last month: “It’s too car-related. [Drivers] didn’t grow up in that Olympic environment – I don’t think we belong at the Olympic stage.
“And that’s fine, because we have our own championship which I think is really well received.”
And Fernando Alonso pointed out the car-related issues when he said: “I think it’s quite unlikely because we have the machine with us.
“Even if you try to organise a go-kart race with exactly the same go-karts, it will never be exactly the same, probably.
“It is a very unique sport.”
