F1 boss Stefano Domenicali says action is needed to increase diversity in motorsport

Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali says it is time to move from «gestures» to «action» to increase diversity in motorsport.

F1 is extending a scholarship it launched last year until 2025.

It aims to support students from under-represented backgrounds through university.

The sport will pay the full tuition costs of 10 students each year on engineering degrees in the UK and Italy.

But the sport is changing the way it promotes its diversity push before races.

Since the start of the 2020 season, in the wake of the killing by unarmed black man George Floyd by US police, there has been a a formal ceremony in the build-up to a race where drivers can take the knee in support of anti-racism.

From this season, drivers are still free to take the knee if they wish, but there will be no formal ceremony for it.

However, there will still be a pre-race video involving the drivers that promotes anti-racism and diversity.

F1 president and chief executive officer Domenicali told Sky Sports: «We needed to make sure that what we did was important to show the intention of Formula 1 in things that were really important for the world.

»Now it's the matter of [changing] gesture, to action. Now the action is the focus on the diversity of our community, and this [programme for students] is the first step."