Source: Several F1 drivers refuse to kneel
Jul.5 - There are rumours of growing tension among Formula 1 drivers over Lewis Hamilton's recent political activism.
Having pushed hard over his support for the Black Lives Matter movement recently, the six-time world champion admitted he told his rivals at a meeting in Austria that "silence" on the issue of racism "is generally complicit".
The drivers have all agreed to wear 'End Racism" t-shirts on the grid on Sunday, but sources suggest at least five are refusing to vow to kneel in support of Black Lives Matter.
"Not everyone has decided what to do," admitted McLaren driver Carlos Sainz.
It is believed some drivers are upset with Hamilton's equating of 'silence' on matters of racial politics with a supposed racist element within the paddock.
"Well, we know there's an issue so we don't need an experience like tomorrow to prove that there is an issue," the 35-year-old said when asked about the apparent disagreement over 'taking a knee'.
Haas driver Kevin Magnussen said: "I intend to kneel - not so much because I support the Black Lives Matter organisation, but more because I want to support the worldwide movement against racism and discrimination.
"I hope no special group or organisation takes ownership of it," he added.
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I believe it would be nice to see at least one top sport not getting involved in a political issue every driver is entitled to have their opinion but as a group stay as a sport let FIA make policy decisions.
It is not a political issue but a human rights issue. It only political in the USA because a clueless President made it one.
Kimi, Max, Kvyat, Giovinazzi, Sainz and Leclerc refused
not being followers .. like cattle ... to LH's problems with life itself!
Disgraceful!!!@the way Mercedes treated Hamilton, and those donut that give him that 5sec penalty they need to invest in some glasses ??
the penalty was for crashing Albon.. Get your own glasses or knowledge of F1
wtf!!! .. LW's opinion is not a rule! I hate people in the 'spot light' using this .. for their pwn opinions or matters ... LW fuck off!!!!!!!!!!! do what you want, but as a 'not profitable' matter .. and don´t try to 'intake' your ideas to other people.. are you trying to do something like religious? .. fuck you!
Yes also Black people never built a f1 car it is a Black privilege to drive one that is not racist its a fact!! No thanks for what was/is the best car obviously nothing to do with it!! Lets let these people build well something would be good!!
I'm mexican .. and I even hate when great directors such as Cuaron or Del Toro, or Iñarritu ... take the microphone on the Oscar's .. not to thank about their own 'prices' .. but ... they 'use' the 'forum' for their own ideas, their own thougts .. fuck offf!
the penalty was for crashing Albon.. Get your own glasses or knowledge of F1
Politics and Racism have NO PLACE in F1. We as fans want to see motor racing not a racist rant. As for BLM it is a far left Marxist group who want to further their own anti capitalist / communist agenda. Support ?? NEVER in a million years. !!!!
I support end racism but not black lives matter, all lives matter and will someone tell Lewis not to do the black power salute at race mettings. He's a great driver and I support him for his driving but not his political views which have no place in F1
Who does hamilton think he is. Do not try to bully your ideas on F1 & the other drivers. End racism yes but not the offensive way you are going about it
Let's END RACISM with some FACTS.
African population 1.216 billion (2016)
Indian population 1.353 billion (2018)
Chinese population 1.393 billion (2018)
Middle Eastern / Arab population 411 million (2016)
Are those countries taking a knee? No, but these countries are:
German population 83.02 million (2019) of which (((officially))) 20.8 million are immigrants (2020).
Italian population of 60.36 million (2019) of which (((officially))) 5.3 million are immigrants (2019).
UK population of 66.65 million (2019) of which (((officially))) 9.3 million are immigrants (2018).
I have read multiple credible reports that the (((official))) numbers are far too low. And all that doesn't include illegal nor 1st generation immigrants, like the ones born after WW2. You know, when so many of the good strong men in the prime of their child rearing lives originating from those countries went the way of the dodo.
Contrast that with:
German population 86.7 million (1939)
Italian population of 56.5 million (1939)
Chinese population 267.5 million (1939)
African population 124.69 million (1913)
Middle Eastern / Arab population 75.1 million (1950)
So Native European population's are decreasing when everyone else's has gone through the roof? Almost as if they're still fighting a war and just don't realize it!
So yes, let's END RACISM and the GENOCIDE (suicide???) of Native Europeans!!!!
Two thumbs down? These are FACTS. NOT OPINIONS. NOT PROPAGANDA, but cold hard FACTS. FFS, wake up!
HAM fogets that Other Drivers Lives Matter and accelerates through a dust cloud during a yellow caution light... What an asshole!
Good on every driver that refused to kneel. Those that do are behaving like sheep & it is so disrespectful to everyone. And proves nothing.
BLM is racist & nothing to do with ending racism Hamilton you are a fool & have no understanding
I feel that the six drivers who did not 'bend the knee' (aka Game of Thrones copy by BLM) were brave to take a stand against this intrusion into F1, as the Hard Left crazies will now completely unfairly try to vilify these six brave drivers as racists.
Lewis needs to take a long hard look at himself, if he wants to support a nasty Marxist organisation like BLM with its anti-capitalist and anti-police agenda, as such an organisation as BLM will absolutely hate Lewis's highly privileged tax-exile Monaco-based playboy lifestyle.
Also, Toto Wolff needs to take a long hard look at himself, as by painting the Silver Arrows with a 'Hamilton-supporting' black livery, he has very effectively driven a wedge through race relations in Germany, a country trying very hard to improve its profile in this area, something the German people will not thank him for. Would Ferrari ever not paint its cars red, no of course not!
Wake up F1 please, and remove politics from the sport!
Good point well made
Hamilton should stick to driving and keep his political opinions to himself, I don't recall F1 ever having racial issues, if you are bright enough and dedicated enough the colour of your skin would not prevent a career in any form of motorsport.As for taking a knee that is a matter for the individual not something to be forced on the other drivers by a world champion who suddenly thinks the black power salute is acceptable on a F1 podium. A lot of people might find the gesture offensive. So just drive the car, keep your political opinions to yourself and stop trying to drag F1's name through the gutter over an issue that doesn't exist.
We have been watching F1 for over 20 years but can no longer tolerate the hate Lewis has introduced. We do not object to his views but object to the way he is forcing his on the other drivers. He is the one that needs educating and is behaving like a fascist bully.
We are white, I bet all the above ranters are, why is a mixed race man the best driver in the world, they are saying but won’t say , the racist coward. We hate Hamilton, they would like to say, but would be outed as, so won’t say, the ignoramustic bigots.
Racists rule the roost and have done so for ever, its time decent human beings stood up, no buts no equivocation. The knee should only be the one of many ways to ways to drown the single called human amoebas.
Nobody is forcing any drivers to take a knee. Id he supports the movement BLM is representing that's fine. I don't understand all the hostility towards a movement that, obviously, most of the commenters don't have the understanding to comprehend. It's not a fascist organization in any way. If you only read what the actual leaders are saying you would see this. There are tons of trolls that claim to represent them that actually don't. Read & research more deeply & honestly people.
Damn straight! I bet all of the people who dislike HAM for what he is doing are Americans, who else would be against a movement to stop the killing of people of color. In this time of America with an ignoramus as President the intelligence, or lack of, has been revealed. Make America great again means bring back Jim Crow. I am not proud to say "I am an American" these days. Racism is so embedded in America it will take another century for us to rid ourselves of this curse.
Hamilton is not a US citizen - BLM is related to US domestic politics - it has nothing to do with the international European-Middle Eastern-Asian calendar of F1. Hamilton works for massive corporate entities - Mercedes Benz/Hugo Boss/TAG-Heuer etc etc - and is a multimillionaire tax exile, rather than contributing to UK economy - he has VERY little in common with Marxist based, anti-capital/anti-corporate, radical activists. This is a self-grandiose ego trip.