" there is a real inability to self-criticise in the spanish culture "

I agree, but this is even bigger on British -we are the best- culture.

"The way minorities have been treated in the past in the UK "
What do you mean by the past? Yesterday perhaps?



Finally I agree, Hamilton's actions not his skin colour are what cause the outrage, is this too much difficult to understand?

Kormak, Dubai,

Excellent article, thank-you. Hamilton's actions not his skin colour are what cause the outrage. Also, I seem to recall that in quite a few of the more enraged press reports covering Formula 1 last year that Fernando Alonso was often referred to as simply, 'The Spaniard' in a very sly, degrading undertone - Raikonnen was never 'The Finn' or Massa 'The Brazilian' . Flies and elephants indeed.

Santi, Alcanar, Spain

The writer and most of the posters of these comments are quite right it was all Britains fault Lewis Hamilton was targeted for racial abuse.

He was also quite right when he pointed out we British are all BNP supporting, pointy hat wearing, mad dog racists us the Dutch, French and Austrians.

There is no point printing an article to try and balance the way the British tabloids picked up on the abuse of Lewis, if that article has to go so far the other way.

The way minorities have been treated in the past in the UK and to some extent still are was/is terrible but monkey chants at football matches and the F1 issue is right now and in Spain. Trying to explain direct racism comparing it to the use of a "Banal expletive" is absolutlely unacceptable.

Doug T, London, UK

For those Brits who think along the line of "we are in a much better state ratially than Spain", please check out the home page here, top article: Stephen Lawrence Centre Hit By Race Attack. BTW, Stephen Lawrence was not insulted by racists, he was killed. Talking about flies and elephants.

Robert, Belgrade, Serbia

this is a good article however in my opinion it again leans dangerously towards the passive acceptance for these actions that i have noticed in spain.
I'm a real F1 fan, watched years before hamilton and alonso and will continue to watch years beyond them... and i do much prefer reading the serious F1 press, Autosport, F1 Racing etc.. a good article by a spaniard in Autosport summed up the situation i have seen living here: For spanish people F1=Alonso..there is not the same foundation of fans for the sport beyond supporting alonso in spain as there is in england and therefore most fans are sports fans influenced by thuggish football behaviour.
However, not wanting to add fuel to a fire..i go to a private school here with many PP supporters and despite being in a british/international school the comments these people make are sometimes shockingly racist. there is a real inability to self-criticise in the spanish culture that must be overcome to solve these problems.

Rob, madrid,

Very good article! I would only like to comment that, for what I've heard hear in Spain, the group of people who were painted in black faces were not the same people who were shouting insults to Hamilton. Aparently they pretended to be Hamilton's family and support Alonso. It was only a joke.

Agustin, Oropesa (Toledo), Spain

Open your eyes Marbella, ha, ha. Your post deserves 1 prize in... I’ll tell you something about SOME British people and Marbella.
The fact is Marbella is the perfect example of british people living foro years and years in Spain that never learnt any Spanish word but "sí" and "hola". Only English speaKing (no Spanish language at all) restorants, bars, supermarkets... british press, british books, british breakfast, british clubs, housing, shops... Perfect place for people that just want sun, cheap beer, and don’t care of anything else. Perfect place for a cheap Liverpool-Marbella weekend, leaving home drunk and coming back home drunker, after having vandalized the hotel.
People that the only Spanish wine they know is the one in their local "off licence" for 10 pounds the bottle and find in Spain for 2 Euro (what we will use only for cheap sangría) People that never mixed with Spaniards and never will.
People that have the guts to write comments here talking about "Spanish racism".

Pino, Madrid,

The fact that British people are blaming all Spain about what happened it is a racism in itself. Following the same rule, all British are racist because 4 policemen killed a Brazilian guy because HE LOOKED LIKE a terrorist. Look like a terrorist is in fact, a racist comment, isn't it ? But your police said that! But what it worries me though is, we are discussing about something that is out of the sport. I do not see any forum, posting, etc etc for Hooligans at football? British press sees a fly in the horizon but they do not see an elephant before their eyes.

JoseBelgica, Brussels, Belgium

Basically all this has gotten way out of hand. A few years ago
hardly anybody watched F1 in Spain or England.
The last time an Englishman won the title was TWELVE years
ago with Damon Hill, since then the media and the vast
majority of the British public looked elsewhere for sporting
success. I should know, as I am from there!
Hamilton is the biggest title hope for Britain since Nigel Mansell nearly twenty years ago, and Alonso has virtually
single handely introduced F1 to the Spanish people.
Throw all this together and you have all the ingrediants of
a Senna/Prost relationship, which, in the end, gets more
people into F1.
Just what Bernie and Max would have wanted.
Oh, p.s! Both of these men our English, get the picture.
CASHCOW spring to mind?

james hunt, orlando, florida, usa

John Carlin article is good summary that explains to those who lack any knowledge of history why racial insensitive remarks and and a lack of an established P.C. culture in Spain does not equal full blown racism. Furthermore the piece aside from explaining differences in cultures goes on to highlight (for those who somehow have managed to overlook) the glaringly hypocritical stance taken by a vast section of English-speaking media outlets and its readers. To combat the wrong established ancient notions that some are inferior due to their religion/race/gender I suggest exporting constructive criticism and in depth conversation with others and not the screaming headlines devoid of any intelligence and soaked in their own dislike of foreigners.

P.S. it really is best to think a little while putting the shouting mechanisms on hold.

Sebastian, Antarctica,

The only reason why there were racist insults against Hamilton, Etoo, etc is not racism itself. The reason is that they want to hurt and they know they can hurt very easily by calling the skin color. It is a especially easy way to hurt a black man. Many people in Spain are angry with Hamilton because of his actions towards Alonso in the past, not because of his skin color. If it was just a problem of the skin color, you would have heard those insults last year too. Or previously, something could have been said against Karthikeyan, right? Nothing like that was ever heard.

Those people only wanted to insult, and the skin color was there to be mentioned. Nothing else.

Jaime, Madrid,

When Lewis’ grandfather arrived in the UK he found immediate employment. Today, everywhere you visit in the UK you will find recent black immigrants employed, particularly in the service sector.

I can think of only one Moroccan man working on a building site and one woman working in a German owned Supermarket during the 8 years that I have regularly been visiting Spain. Recent immigrants are conspicuous by there absence. East Europeans by contrast do seem to be able to find employment.

My feeling is that racial discrimination against black people is pretty much the norm in Spain and I was not surprised by the reports last week.

When Lewis first defeated Fernando for pole in Canada last year, Fernando’s body language in the FIA press conference spoke volumes about his true feelings. He was leaning so far away that he seemed to express that he could not allow himself to be seen in the same place as Lewis.

The FIA is right to ensure that these problems are stamped out

Open your eyes, Marbella, Spain

The thing I never understood, is why this attacks from England. I mean, racism was a deep problem in England not just in the sixties but also in the eighties and nineties.

If this problem is already solved there, why they don't offer themselves to help us in fighting against this, instead of blaming us about something it took them decades to beat.

I don't ask for tolerance on this, but I just ask for comprehension, which is the spirit of this article. We are just at the very beginning of a long journey, and any positive help is welcome.

Instead this, by receiving these attacks we are just aiming confrontation and hate, and the sensation that Europe is not a community but just a bunch of isolated lands which looking everyone for themselves and blaming on the others for the problems they have.

Josep , Paris, France

"There is no far right, racially fixated political party in Spain" I think youll find they call themselves the PP. Come on John, unfortunately your head is burried in the sand as it is for the rest of Spain.

JSA, Barcelona,

intelligent people in a british press... that´s amazing!
Oh wait! "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his job depends on not understanding it" Upton Sinclair
Bravo Mr.Carlin

Gastinel, Cran Canaria, Spain

The point is good but let’s not forget that the real annoyance was the idea that there is no problem. Sure, they are just at the beginning of this journey but Aragones said THAT and was given a paltry fine and won on appeal, the monkey chants at the bernabeu were punished with a paltry fine and again at the F1 track there was racist abuse.

I would also point out the numerous black players in La Liga who have complained about racism (that alone would hit double figures). My problem is not that they aren't at the point we are with regards to racism, but rather it is that there doesn't seem to be a progressive attitude towards it, or any consideration of an underlying problem for that matter. Pride in this case could stifle progress, the healthy position should be how become more tolerant, or something to that effect. Hell, that is the position here and we are in a much better state racially than Spain!!

I would accept that the minority at the bernabeu, Luis Aragones et al wer

Joe, edinburgh, Scotland

First of all I want to thank Mr. Carlin. So, I think that if hooligans are going to became the ambassador of a country, then UK will be at war with the rest of the world. The fact is, there will always be people who think that buying a ticket for a show allows them to do everything. Spain has no plague of racism, but sadly among the hooligans there are many racist, that's why such things happens. If Spain would be racist, I don't think that "Banco Santander" would sponsor McLaren. I have a question: Fernando Alonso due to his contract to McLaren may not talk about them, but McLaren and Hamilton, why have they always to talk about Alonso?

Rodrigo, Madrid, Spain

Thanks a lot.

Joaquin Carrasco, Murcia, Spain

Finally some common sense!! A British journalist in Spain telling the truth !!

Lesson learnt = Travel ! Travelliing allow you to see the same reality from different perspectives.

JoseBelgica, Brussels, Belgium

Congratulations on this well-thought, unbiased article. Thank you for remembering that a few idiots do not a nation represent. And thanks for considering our "tolerance to profanity". I sometimes forget that we are one of the most foul-mouthed people on Earth XD, and forget it may shock others.

Overall, a great article. Thanks for reminding me why I read British serious press.

Isabel, Cordoba, Spain

Sincerely, after reading a lot of nonsenses in british media, I didn't expect to read an article showing this point of view in a british newspaper-objective point of view I think..- I'm pleasantly surprised about it. Thank you.

I'm Spanish, and an Alonso's fan too. After the Montmeló acts I only can say: Good grief! but please remember that 4 fools will never represent a nation.
Anyway, don't be mistaken, if Hamilton is impopular in my country,it is not because of his skin colour,it's because of his dirty tricks out of the track.

By the way I'm waiting for some Alonso comments censuring this behaviours...

Borja, Asturias, Spain

Pleasantly surprised to read this article in The Times.

Jose, Reus, Spain

PS: I aborn in Argentina, living in Barcelona
In the next soccer-match against England i would like to have the posibility to sing our national song and not to hear only insults and noises from english fans..
I not consider this is rascim nor xenophobia, it is just about some crow-"irationality" wich does not represent the open mind of my english friend in Barcelona.
It is not a big issue, I just wish to sing our nationall song with some repespect from the adversaries.

Javier, Cordoba, Argentina

I am french Canadian. I'm a McLaren fan. I like Alonso. I don't eat rice. I drive a German car. Black is my favorite color. I find Asian women attractive. I speak three languages. I prefer Europe to the USA. However, I don't like Hamilton. Please help me figure out if I'm racist!!

Marc, Dieppe, Canada

A very interesting article indeed.

I am a South African currenlty living in South Korea, and felt immediate anger and disgust when the story of Hamilton's alleged racial abuse broke around the world.

However, this article has certainly given me the other side to the story. I think given my country's history, one could be quick to condemn people without having all the relevant facts.

I have lived in Brighton, England for two years and met many Spanish people, who were kind and friendly and, not inherintly racist.

One should remember it was only 4 idiots. The "Fantastic 4" , could hardly represent a nation of 45 million people.

I can certainly think of more than 4 blatantly racist people in South Africa but, that certainly doesn't make South Africa racist as a nation!!

Roux John Standaar, Pocheon, South Korea

Very well written and probably would touch a sore cord with the British Media. The British media (in general) had long been hypocrites. Exception in to the Times maybe for having the guts to present another side of the coin.

There is a saying from the Far East that best describe this outrage...You spot a fly in the horizon but cannot see an elephant in front of your eyes. This best sums up the bias and blind mentality of the British press and some of their politicians (plus some citizens I guess). It's this British mentality since colonial days that the Brits can do no wrong.

Dr Leong, Kuala Lumpur, MALAYSIA

Thank you, John. Apart from a couple of discrepancies, l couldnt agree more. And Thank you, Times, I think this is the most honest piece of journalism I ever readed in this section (I´m shocked!)

Pinaster, Madrid,