Lewis Hamilton Returns to Fight for Soccer Star Against “Constant Scapegoating of Black Players”

“There is no room for discrimination, I think, in society today. Sports need to do more, we all need to continue to do more. If we see it, hear it–we need to do something about it,” said Lewis Hamilton (the only black driver in F1). Hamilton, who was called names and abused because of his skin color and racial lineage, has the loudest voice in Formula 1 because of his stature as a 7x champion. He never fails to use his platform to highlight the issues plaguing the world. And he has done it again. Having faced racism every step of the way, he knows what it feels like to be at the receiving end of it. This time, he has taken a stand for compatriot Bukayo Saka.

Let us take a look at what happened. Kevin Kilbane was previewing the tournament as part of the TSN Sports program. When discussing who would start for England, Kilbane pointed fingers at Saka and accused him of faking injuries in games. The clip of Kilbane’s comments angered fans and created a media uproar. Lewis Hamilton took to his Instagram to share a post on his story. The caption of the post began with, “We need to hold the English media accountable for systemically vilifying Black players.”

This is not the first time Lewis took a stand for England’s Bukayo Saka. Previously, Lewis Hamilton condemned the racist abuse suffered by three England footballers after the Euro 2020 final, saying it “shows how much work needs to be done” in society to end racism. For context, England had lost the final in a penalty shootout to Italy, with England players Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka, who are all Black, missing spot kicks. All three were subjected to racist abuse online. And a similar occurrence was condemned by him yet again when Kevin Kilbane targeted Saka.

Lewis had also celebrated another soccer player’s achievements when the latter won the Socrates Award for his humanitarian work.

Lewis Hamilton took a similar stance for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior

In 2023, Lewis Hamilton hailed Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior’s incredible bravery in his response to racist abuse in Spain and said the incidents brought back painful memories from his career in Formula One. This also earned him a prestigious award, which was hailed by F1’s 7x champion.

In an interview ahead of the 2023 Sao Paulo Grand Prix, as he appreciated Real Madrid winger Vinicius Jr.’s Socrates Award win, Lewis Hamilton told Reuters, “It’s really remarkable to see people out there who are facing such challenges and are just being brave in the face of them.” The victory of the soccer player subjected to multiple episodes of racial slurs had made the 7x F1 world champion proud.

Hamilton never fails to take a stand against racist tendencies of society, in and out of sports. However, it is up to all of us to be responsible for widespread betterment. What’s your take on this? Share your thoughts in the comments below.