Published 11:39 IST, July 5th 2020
Lewis Hamilton expresses concerns over 'lack of awareness' about racism among drivers
Lewis Hamilton has been fighting to eliminate racism from the sport and society for over the years, and has egged on his fellow drivers to do the same.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
Six-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton, who has been an advocate of the BLM campaign, stated that there is a lack of understanding of racism in Formula One after multiple drivers showed reluctance to take a knee in support of the Balck Lives Matter movement triggered by the death of George Floyd in May. Hamilton has been fighting to eliminate racism from the sport and society for over the years now and has egged on his fellow drivers to do the same.
Hamilton talks about drivers' lack of awareness
After the drivers' meeting before the start of the shortened Formula One season, he said, "I described the scenario that silence is really generally complicit. There is some silence in some cases. But I think it is part of a dialogue of people trying to understand, because there are still some people who don't fully understand what is happening and what is the reason for these protests and I continue to try to be that guide and try to influence as many people as I can with it."
Formula One and Grand Prix Drivers’ Association (GPDA), on Saturday, announced that all 20 drivers will be taking a knee to show support for the movement. "All 20 drivers stand united with their teams against racism and prejudice, at the same time embracing the principles of diversity, equality and inclusion and supporting F1's commitment to these," it said.
Formula One has repeatedly been accused of being a sport that lacks diversity and does not support the ones from different backgrounds. Hamilton, the defending world champion has used his stature to promote diversity and has, on multiple occasions, mentioned how he faced discrimination during his formative years.
Last month, Hamilton lashed out at former Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone for his insensitive and racist remarks during an interview. Ecclestone said that sometimes black people are more racist than white and that it was stupid taking down all the statues. Hamilton was extremely critical of the former chief of the sport and in a statement via his Instagram account, wrote, "So sad and disappointing to read these comments. Bernie is out of the sport and a different generation but this is exactly what is wrong - ignorant and uneducated comments which will show us how far we as a society need to go before real equality can happen."
Formula One's first race will finally take place on July 5 after a three-month delay due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
Updated 12:06 IST, July 5th 2020