Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Olympics, Motorsport, FIA, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen
Ben McCrum
Topics: Olympics, Motorsport, FIA, Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen
The Olympics Games is a beloved celebration of some of the world's best athletes competing in the most popular sports, but there is one that may never feature.
Football, athletics, swimming, cycling, basketball and tennis are just some of the most popular of the sports that are featured were featured in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games last summer.
Although a massive 32 sports were represented in Paris, there are several other sports that have never featured in the games, despite clamours from fans to add the likes of darts, snooker or mixed martial arts.
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But there is one sport that, despite being one of the most popular in the world, will likely never feature at the Olympic Games.
Even though over 750 million fans worldwide are reported to watch Formula One every year, it's inclusion in the Games seems unlikely given the fact that each of the cars have competitive differences.
In fact, a rule in the official Olympic charter explicitly banned all motorsports from being added to the Games.
It read: "Sports, disciplines or events in which performance depends essentially on mechanical propulsion are not acceptable."
The rule is listed as Rule 47.4.2 in the Charter, but it has been removed in recent years and in 2012, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) formerly recognised the FIA, F1's governing body.
As part of the growing relationship between the IOC and FIA, electric karting was featured as a demonstration sport at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics, with the hopes that it could help push it towards becoming part of the schedule for Paris 2024.
Motor racing was previously featured at the 1900 Olympics in Paris, with events were largely contested as point-to-point races behind Paris and Toulouse, with manufacturers listed as the entrants.
Data surrounding the 14 races is not available as most results were not publicly recorded, and the races have never been deemed as official by the IOC, but drivers competing at the Games were awarded medals.
While fans would no doubt be eager to see the sport included at the Olympics, Formula One drivers are not so keen, with drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen voicing their reluctance towards the idea.
"It's too car-related. [Drivers] didn't grow up in that Olympic environment - I don't think we belong at the Olympic stage," claimed Verstappen in July.
"And that's fine, because we have our own championship which I think is really well received."