Lewis Hamilton attends peaceful BLM protest
Lewis Hamilton attended a Black Lives Matter peaceful protest in London’s Hyde Park on Sunday and urged everyone supporting the movement to “keep pushing”.
Hamilton spoke glowingly about the diversity of the crowd.
The Formula One world champion has been outspoken in recent weeks about the lack of diversity within his own sport.
He has long highlighted racism within society which has received further attention due to the worldwide protests.
Hamilton attended the latest one at London’s largest park and said on social media: “Went down to Hyde Park today for the peaceful protest and I was so proud to see in person so many people of all races and backgrounds supporting this movement.
“It was really moving. I’m feeling extremely positive that change will come, but we cannot stop now. “
He followed it up with a picture of him at the movement with a BLM banner, and then a video of him walking the streets in protest.
THE HAMILTON COMMISSION
Hamilton’s appearance at the protest comes after he launched a research project called The Hamilton Commission aimed at improving diversity in the motorsport industry – with F1’s world champion saying that “the time for platitudes and token gestures is over”.
“Despite my success in the sport, the institutional barriers that have kept F1 highly exclusive persist,” wrote Hamilton in a Sunday Times column.
“It is not enough to point to me, or to a single new black hire, as a meaningful example of progress. Thousands of people are employed across this industry and that group needs to be more representative of society.
“When I look back in 20 years, I want to see the sport that gave a shy, working-class black kid from Stevenage so much opportunity, become as diverse as the complex and multicultural world we live in.”
Formula 1 in 2020
The F1 star is waiting for the start of the 2020 season as he looks to match Michael Schmuacher’s seven F1 titles, although he is likely to have to do it in a shortened season.
The season begins next month in Austria, but much of the schedule is still uncertain due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There will be two races in Austria, one in Hungary and then two in the UK to kick the season off.
Races in Spain, Belgium and Italy will follow but as it stands there are only eight races on the calendar.