Lewis Hamilton considers himself an activist & ambassador for the black lives matter movement, which has been seen with positive criticism amongst this community. Hamilton hasn’t ever spoken about the systemic racism in international sporting before the death of George Floyd. The change of heart could allow for African Americans & African Europeans to grow their position in the Formula One Community, with Lewis Hamilton being the 1st in the existence of the motorsport.
The Managing Director of Formula One, Ross Brawn, has been questioned on what’ll happen to drivers that support international movements. Questions of this nature follow after Colin Kaepernick was ridiculed for “Taking a Knee” during the American National Anthem, which was done to support the Black Lives Matter Movement years ago. Formula One is primarily operated by elderly Caucasian males, making their questioning reasonable from recent evidence in the last decade.
Ross Brawn clarified that Formula One isn’t taking the same approach & will support all drivers that want to fight against racism. He’d then note that Lewis Hamilton is an influential ambassador for the African European & African American communities. The approach being taken by Formula One is similar to the Premier League, with both sporting associations considered the United Kingdom’s most influential. It should be mentioned that by allowing these athletes to support the Black Lives Matter Movement, an increased presence of African descended players will be seen in all sporting competitions. It’s an incredible step forward for this community.
Off Season & Return
Lewis Hamilton has taken the 2020 Off-Season of Formula One, which has been prolonged by months because of COVID-19, to address multiple issues regarding systemic racism in F1 Racing. The ambassador status of Lewis Hamilton also prompted him to demand that the United Kingdom Government better handle COVID-19, with their inefficient strategies causing for lives to become lost.
Hamilton then requested that governments worldwide remove their statues that honour slave traders, with the F1 Champion clarifying that without this 1st step, nothing will ever change. The face that slave traders are still accepted in major cities worldwide is a disgusting reality, which needs to be abolished immediately.