Lewis Hamilton Leads The Charge In F1 To Speak About The Death Of George Floyd; Teams & Drivers Follow

MOTOR INDIA June 01, 2020

The Formula 1 community has been largely silent about the death of African American George Floyd in a case of racial profiling. Reigning F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton recently took to his social media handle to talk about the issue and also call out his F1 colleagues who chose to stay silent during this time. Hamilton said he "stands alone" at this time, while his contemporaries refrain from conveying anything on the matter.

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Lewis Hamilton took to Instagram to share his thoughts about George Floyd's death

In a series of posts on Instagram, Hamilton said. "I see those of you are staying silent, some of you the biggest stars yet you stay silent in the midst of injustice. Not a sign from anybody in my industry which of course is a white dominated sport. I'm one of the only people of colour there yet I stand alone. I would have thought by now you would see why this happens and say something about it but can't stand alongside us. Just know I know who you are and I see you..."

In a foj llow-up post, Hamilton said, "I do not stand with those looting and burning buildings but those who are protesting peacefully. There can be peace until our so called leaders make change. This is not just America, this is the UK, this is Spain, this is Italy and all over. 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! We are not born with racism in our hearts, it is taught by those we look up to."

Soon after Hamilton's posts, Mercedes-AMG F1 issued a statement supporting its driver that read "We stand with you Lewis." Mercedes also said that tolerance is an elementary principle within the team and it was "enriched by the diversity in all forms."

Other F1 star drivers soon echoed Hamilton's sentiment. Scuderia Ferrari's Charles Leclerc wrote, "To be completely honest, I felt out of place and uncomfortable sharing my thoughts on social media about the whole situation and this is why I haven't expressed myself earlier than today. And I was completely wrong. I still struggle to find the words to describe the atrocity of some videos I've seen on the Internet.
Racism needs to be met with actions, not silence. Please be actively participating, engaging and encouraging others to spread awareness. It is our responsibilities to speak out against injustice. Don't be silent."

Renault's Daniel Ricciardo took to Instagram and wrote, "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. Now more than ever we need to stand together, unified together. Racism is toxic and needs to be addressed not with violence or silence but with unity and action. We need to stand up, we need to be a WE. Let's be better people. It's 2020 ffs. Black lives matter.

McLaren's Lando Norris tweeted a petition, "I have fans and followers. Support and love. And I have power through this to lead and inspire so many. But we also stand for what's right. This time I ask you to do something and take action."

George Floyd died on May 25, 2020, when the Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes while his arms were restrained. Chauvin along with three other officers tried to arrest Floyd in what was allegedly an incident of racial profiling. Floyd's death has since sparked a row of protests across the US and other parts of the world.



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