Sir Lewis Hamilton has expressed his opposition to the FIA’s new rule that prevents him from wearing politically or socially charged T-shirts or symbols, specifically “political, religious or personal” comments if they have not been previously agreed.
It is something that the seven-time champion, along with Sebastian Vettel, has long done in recent Formula 1 seasons, especially with the Black Lives Matter, but also against police abuse, sexual freedom or women’s inequality in some countries.
“2020 had a big impact personally. I feel empowered to stand up and speak openly about any issue. Regardless of the outcome, I know that things always need to be said and done, because a lot of people are suffering,” Hamilton stated in an interview.
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“If I can’t defend human rights and I can’t continue with what I’ve been doing these years, I’d rather not race anymore.”
By doing so, Hamilton has thrown down a gauntlet to the new FIA led by Ben Sulayem that we’ll see what route it takes.
“There are still a lot of hurdles to overcome. Hopefully, it won’t be like this for much longer, but it’s sad to see that these things still exist to this day,” he continued.
“If I can’t have conversations with people, if I can’t talk about these sensitive issues…they won’t have the impact they need to have.
“Therefore, the organizations that can change it will not devote their energies to improving that.“
