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Lewis Hamilton talks about his fight against racial injustice and says he will again wear a shirt with a ‘Breonna Taylor’-like message, despite FIA’s rules.
In 2020 Lewis Hamilton has used his platform to speak out against racial injustice and promote diversity. He is aware his success in Formula 1 allows his voice to be heard louder.
“You can look at some other sports and there’s some people that aren’t super successful yet, but the more successful [you are], the wider your audience, the wider the impact,” the Briton told GQ Magazine.
“I’ve had a very, very difficult life and I’ve been thinking a lot about all these wins. I’ve had a lot of success in my racing career. It’s a great feeling, it’s a real privilege, but what does it really mean?
“All these numbers… what is it? Why was I the one who was chosen to represent black people in our sport?
“But I think as my life is unravelling, as the journey unravels itself, my purpose here is to utilise my voice to help encourage change.
“And my goal, really, is to shift the sport in a direction that it perhaps wouldn’t have gone if I wasn’t here. And most certainly not have gone if the Black Lives Matter movement hadn’t started. If George [Floyd]’s life wasn’t so visible.”
Hamilton is speaking about the murder of George Floyd by a Minnesota police officer that sparked worldwide protests. Hamilton also stood up for Breonna Taylor, a woman who was killed in her home by plain clothes police officers, while they were attempting to serve a no-knock warrant.
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After the Tuscan Grand Prix the Briton wore a shirt that said: ‘Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor’. This prompted the FIA to introduce a rule that requires drivers to remain “attired only in their Driving Suits” during the podium ceremony and the post-race interviews. GQ asked Hamilton if he will break this rule in the future.
“If I believe it is important enough, I will,” said the seven-time champion.
“I will do it again. Going into that weekend, the case with Breonna Taylor had really been on my mind and I’ve been chasing down this shirt for weeks.
“Every weekend that I arrive, we have the spotlight on us and every weekend there is an opportunity to raise awareness. We don’t live in a time when everything is OK.
“And I remember as I went through the day I was like, “OK, I’ve got to win this race. I can’t come second and wear this top.”
“So I remember racing my heart out, pushing with every ounce for first place and I remember getting that win and I was like, “OK. I’m here for you, Breonna.”
“And I put that shirt on and in the 70 years of our sport, no one’s ever stood up there for anything but themselves. And I was standing up there for someone else.
“It was one of the greatest feelings,” concluded Hamilton.
