Lewis Hamilton’s Black Lives Matter gestures are slammed as ‘too much’ by former F1 rival
[ad_1]
‘If a driver is gay, will they fly a rainbow flag and urge everyone to be gay?’: Lewis Hamilton’s Black Lives Matter gestures are slammed as ‘too much’ by former Russian F1 rival Vitaly Petrov – who bizarrely claims racism doesn’t exist in his country
- Lewis Hamilton has been slammed by his former F1 rival Vitaly Petrov
- Russian said the Mercedes star’s Black Lives Matter gestures are ‘too much’
- Hamilton recently escaped punishment for controversial T-shirt at Tuscany GP
Lewis Hamilton has been criticised by his former F1 rival Vitaly Petrov for being ‘overzealous’ in his approach to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
Mercedes star Hamilton has been vocal in his support for the anti-racism campaign and has been wearing a ‘Black Lives Matter’ t-shirt on the grid all season to date.
The six-time world champion recently escaped punishment for carrying the slogan: ‘Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor,’ in reference to the black woman who was killed by police in Kentucky in March, after winning the Tuscany Grand Prix earlier this month.
Lewis Hamilton stood on the Mugello podium wearing a shirt calling for the arrest of police officers following the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor
The Mercedes star has been accused of taking his Black Lives Matter gestures too far
The FIA are keen to work with Hamilton but want to protect their status as a strictly non-political organisation. Former Renault driver Petrov has since said he felt the Brit had taken it ‘too far’ by wearing the controversial T-shirt.
‘For me, this t-shirt, on top of calling for everyone to kneel, was too much,’ the Russian told Championat.
‘It is a personal matter for every adult. You have the right to speak out on social media or give interviews, but I think the US government is well aware of these problems already.
Former F1 driver Vitaly Petrov hit out at Hamilton and claimed racism doesn’t exist in Russia
Hamilton (left) pictured on the podium with Petrov (right) at the Australian Grand Prix in 2011
‘But to call on that in Formula 1 itself… I think half of the spectators didn’t even know what the shirt was about until it was explained to them.
‘And let’s say a driver admits to being gay – will they come out with a rainbow flag and urge everyone to become gay as well? I think the FIA will no longer allow such behaviours.’
Some F1 drivers have opted not to kneel before each race this season and Petrov said that Russians – including Daniil Kvyat – do not kneel for any reason except ‘before God and to propose to your future wife’.
He added: ‘In Russia we have a different mentality, and we do not have the problems that Hamilton is talking about. There should be respect for everyone.’
[ad_2]
Source link