Lewis Hamilton has always been very vocal about the issues of racism. He urged his fellow drivers to take a knee and convinced his team to brand their colors black. He even received the 2020 Tuscan Grand Prix trophy while wearing a t-shirt that supported the cause.
A recent incident involving Former World Champion Nelson Piquet triggered the same instincts in Hamilton. Piquet used a racial slur while talking about Hamilton on a talk show. Hamilton was vocal about the incident and stated “archaic mindsets need to change and have no place in our sport.”
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In days to follow Bernie Ecclestone, in defense of Piquet, told Good Morning Britain “I’m surprised Lewis hasn’t just brushed it aside. Or, better than that, replied. But he’s now come out and Nelson has apologized.”
Lewis Hamilton has now come out to say that he will not become a “negative” driver.
Lewis told his former teammate Heikki Kovalainen on ViaPlay, “I’ll always be tapped into this sport, I’ll always be watching,”
“I’ll always want to be someone that’s being positive to whichever drivers that are here, good or bad, because you know how difficult it is to start, and how it can suck and how days can be good and how people can be negative about you.”
“I don’t ever want to be one of those drivers that does that, because we’ve experienced that.”
Lewis Hamilton stays unfazed by criticism
Ahead of Silverstone last month Hamilton told the reporters, “In the last couple of weeks, I don’t think a day has gone by when someone who has not been relevant in our sport for decades has not been saying negative things and trying to bring me down.”
Hamilton, despite all criticism about his driving, has still managed to secure 5 consecutive podiums in the last 5 races.
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The Mercedes car this year has clearly not been up to the same level as the Red Bull and the Ferrari. But Hamilton has proven time and again his skill, more so this year than the past few.
And his message to all his fellow young drivers also has been clear. He has let his performance do all the talking.
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The Seven-Time World Champion will surely use all this to fuel a comeback in the second half.