Lewis Hamilton Fumes Over the Silence of F1 on George Floyd Death
Giancarlo Perlas June 1, 2020
Lewis Hamilton lights up the fuse after his sport has been seemingly silent on the issue of racism in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death under the hands of a Minnesota police officer. The Mercedes AMG Petronas driver’s statements sparked comments from his fellow racers in Formula 1.
“I see those of you who are staying silent, some of you the biggest of stars yet you stay silent in the midst of injustice,” Hamilton posted on his official Instagram account.
“I would have thought by now you would see why this happens and say something about it but you can’t stand alongside us. Just know I know who you are and I see you,” he went on.
The six-time F1 Drivers Champion explained though that he only supported peaceful protests and not those who are merely taking advantage of the situation to loot people and destroy properties like the one we just witnessed in Oakland, California, wherein rioters burned a Mercedes-Benz dealership.
Hamilton urged the leaders of European nations for reform in the way they treat minorities.
“The way minorities are treated has to change, how you educate those in your country of equality, racism, classism and that we are all the same,” said the F1 driver.
“We are not born with racism and hate in our hearts; it is taught by those we look up to,” the Briton added.
Hamilton’s barrage of criticisms came after top athletes such as Michael Jordan, Lebron James, and Serena Williams voiced out their thoughts on the Floyd subject.
F1 Drivers Respond to Hamilton’s Remarks
Following his scathing words, other F1 drivers have reacted by pouring support for those who are fighting against racism.
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari apologized for not being able to express himself over the issue lately as he “struggled to find the words to describe the atrocity” of the videos he saw. He called for spreading awareness and “speak out against injustice” as he used the “#BlackLivesMatters” tag.
Other drivers echoed the same sentiments while Daniel Ricciardo of Renault strongly said, “Seeing the news the last few days has left me saddened, what happened to George Floyd and what continues to happen in today’s society is a disgrace.”
Like the rest, the Australian driver pointed out that the matter should be met with “unity and action” and not with “violence or silence”.
