When it comes to speaking out against social issues, no F1 drivers come close to Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. The two of them have brought up several issues that plague society over the years, and despite pressure from authorities, remain adamant that they will continue to do so.
Vettel is now retired from F1, which leaves Hamilton in the spotlight alone, to carry on with his advocacy against social injustice and discrimination. In a recent video released by Mercedes, Hamilton was going down memory lane as he completed 10 years with the team. He came across a photo of him and Vettel wearing ‘Black Lives Matter’ t-shirts ahead of a race in 2020.
This made Hamilton recall how 2020 was monumental for him and the black community. After the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, a global movement started, which also found its way into F1. In the first race of the season, Hamilton wore a ‘Black Lives Matter’ t-shirt that he thought he would be the only one wearing. However, when he arrived on the track, he saw Vettel was wearing one too.
Lewis Hamilton on how Sebastian Vettel stood by him
Vettel spoke against racism on multiple occasions and, in 2020, was next to Hamilton when he needed him the most. Hamilton feels that in 2020, the entire world stood up against racism, homophobia and everything wrong in society.
At that moment, Vettel standing beside him meant a great deal to him. The 38-year-old also feels that Vettel wearing a ‘Black Lives Matter’ t-shirt ahead of an F1 race must have helped the German driver grow in terms of confidence. Since that, Hamilton thinks that Vettel developed the courage to “come out of his shell” and fight for what he believes is right.
“We basically stood arm in arm, against a lot of different causes,” Hamilton says.
Human rights are not politics
Over the years, we have seen some viewers and even the FIA suggesting that there is no place for politics in sports when someone talks about equal rights. Many drivers also refused to participate in protests because of the apparent political motivation behind them.
Hamilton, however, does not understand why people mix politics with human rights. According to him, he speaks for diversity and inclusion, which in no way is linked to politics.
“When people say that this is politics,” he adds. “You know, politics don’t belong in sports. Well, human rights is not politics.”
