Straightforward Message from Formula One's Boss
ALLEN: Two million people demanding racial justice have prompted the governor of Colorado to order a new investigation into the death of a young black man in police custody. Twenty-three-year-old Elijah McClain was walking home from a store in the city of Aurora last August when three white officers stop him. Body cam footage shows what happens next.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop. Stop. Stop. I have a right to stop you because you are being suspicious.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, OK.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Turn around, turn around, turn around.</s>ALLEN: At one point, police put a chokehold on him, and later paramedics gave him a drug to sedate him. He suffered a heart attack and was declared brain dead three days later. None of the officers has faced any discipline or charges. Governor Jared Polis is now asking the attorney general to reinvestigate the case after two million people signed a petition demanding this be looked at more closely. NASCAR has released a photo of the noose found in the garage assigned to Bubba Wallace, the only African-American driver in the stock car racing association. NASCAR's president says the photo shows the noose was real, as was his concern for Wallace. The FBI determine that no hate crime had been committed because the rope had been there since last year. NASCAR says all other garages were checked, but found a noose only in Wallace's. NASCAR was not able to determine who put it there or why it wasn't reported earlier. Formula One kicks off its delayed season in little more than a week with the Austrian Grand Prix, at the same time the organization is working on a new initiative to try to make motorsport more inclusive. You would think everyone could get behind that. But the former Formula One boss seems to have different ideas on issues involving race. Here is our interview with CNN's Amanda Davies.</s>AMANDA DAVIES, CNN WORLD SPORTS PRESENTER: Sixth-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton is the sports only black driver in a 70- year history. He's often talked about the challenges he's faced in his career because of the color of his skin. And in the wake of the death of George Floyd, he called out other members of the motorsport community for not speaking up against racial injustice. He's decided to take matters into their own hands, launching the Hamilton Commission, a research partnership aimed at making motorsports more diverse and more multicultural. And this week when I spoke to the man in charge of Formula One until 2017, the man dubbed as Mr. F1, because of his 40-year relationship with the sport, Bernie Ecclestone, he did praise Hamilton for his actions and talks of its importance for the sport, but he made what I think it's fair to say, was some pretty controversial comments. I began by asking him why he thinks F1 hasn't done more to tackle the issue of diversity in the past?</s>BERNIE ECCLESTONE, CHIEF EXECUTIVE, FORMULA ONE: I don't think anyone is bothered with it before. They are too busy trying to win races, or find sponsors, or something. Really, other things are of little, if any, interest.</s>DAVIES: So, what impact do you think what Lewis has launched, the Hamilton Commission, what impact do you think that's going to have in real terms for Formula One?</s>ECCLESTONE: I don't think it's going to do anything bad or good for Formula One. It will just make people think. Which, is more important. I think it's the same for everybody. People want to think a little bit, and say, what the hell, somebody is not the same, not the same as white people that black and the black people should think the same thing about white people. Because I think in lot of cases, black people are more racist than white people are.</s>DAVIES: What makes you say that?</s>ECCLESTONE: Well, things over the years, I've noticed. There's no need for it.</s>DAVIES: Is that not a case of fighting for equality and fighting against injustice for such a long time?</s>ECCLESTONE: Well, against injustice for anyone whatever color they are, it's important to do something about that for a start. But as, I mean, I don't think you are going to easily change people's attitude, I think they need to start being taught at school. So, they grow up not thinking about these things. And I think it's completely stupid taking all these statues down. They should have left them there. Take the kids from school to look and say why they are and what the people did. And how wrong it was what they did.</s>DAVIES: As somebody who was so integral to making Formula One what it is today, do you not want to see it as a sport leading the way and changing attitudes, and portraying society as it is?</s>ECCLESTONE: I suppose the people that need to do that or the viewers. For the number of people that are directly involved in sport, there is such a small number of people that can do very little. I'm surprised, if anyone, in Formula One, certainly the teams and the people like the promoters, have any concern about this. I think it's the public at large that have to start thinking.</s>DAVIES: Do you wonder what the sports or current owners will make of those comments. Echoes, and of course while still an influential figure in the F1 paddock, is no longer in charge. That's the liberty media group run by Chase Kerry. They, in recent days have launched a new initiative to tackle the issues around diversity and inclusion. The we races one campaign, including a task force to address the issues both on and off the track. But set against the backdrop of the issues the Bubba Wallace has faced in NASCAR in recent weeks, now Bernie's comments there's no doubt, the scrutiny will be greater than ever on Formula One when the delayed season hits the track in Austria next weekend. Amanda Davies, CNN, London.</s>ALLEN: Well, U.S. President Trump has work to do if he wants another four years on the White House. Next here, a half dozen new polls show Mr. Trump trailing Democrat Joe Biden. We'll have the latest numbers and talk with someone about what's next for President Trump in this race.