Lewis Hamilton insisted on Sunday his fight against racism is “about equality and not politics or promotion” after six drivers refused to j...
Lewis Hamilton insisted on Sunday his fight against racism is “about equality and not politics or promotion” after six drivers refused to join the Formula One world champion in taking a knee before the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix.
Hamilton, the only black driver in the sport, wore a Black Lives Matter t-shirt, while other drivers, who all lined up with him at the front of the grid, sported black tops saying “End racism”.
However, six of the 20 drivers remained standing during the protest before the Austrian national anthem.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen had confirmed a split among drivers when they said they would not take a knee. They were joined by Carlos Sainz of McLaren, Danil Kvyat of Alpha Tauri, Antonio Giovinazzi and his Alfa Romeo team-mate, former world champion Kimi Raikkonen.
“Today was an important day for me and all the people out there who are working for and hoping for change, for a more equal and just society,” Hamilton wrote on Instagram after the race in which he finished fourth.
“I may get criticism in the media and elsewhere, but this fight is about equality, not politics or promotion. To me it was an emotional and poignant chapter in the progress of making F1 a...
