Carey says F1 wants to ’increase diversity’

Chase Carey denies that Formula E, the all-electric racing series, is a threat to Formula 1.

The F1 CEO admitted that F1 competes with many sports, but some think Formula E - now filled with top drivers and carmakers - is the biggest threat.

"No, actually, it certainly wouldn’t be Formula E," Carey told CNN.

His comments line up with those of FIA president Jean Todt, who declared this week that it will take "decades" for fully electric technology to catch up with F1 levels of performance.

And Carey continued: "I think Formula E is a very different vehicle today, largely a social cause and, you know, it’s a street party."

F1 is, however, pushing to be carbon neutral by 2030, and Carey thinks another area of attention for the sport’s owner Liberty Media is "diversity".

"We want to increase the diversity. We’ve been very public about it," he said.

"We’re working hard, particularly the female diversity issue, but really on all levels of diversity," added the 66-year-old.

And he said six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, a vocal advocate of many social movements including veganism, is central to that push.

"Sports are based on heroes and our biggest heroes are the drivers and Lewis has really been in many cases, you know, an incredible leader in those initiatives," Carey said.