Lewis Hamilton is the ‘most’ in many terms; he has the most F1 wins, most championships, and most race starts, and also he is the most vocal driver of Formula One. Along with Sebastian Vettel, Hamilton has always used his F1 racing platform to speak on the matter of racism, discrimination, social injustices, and climate change. Now that Vettel has chosen a way out of Formula One last year, only the Briton remains to face the inhuman regulation set by FIA, which bans the F1 drivers from making any political statement during race weekends. Before speaking about anything that goes beyond sports or that covers politics or personal agenda, the drivers will need prior permission.
After the law was implemented, Hamilton’s social actions that he took to promote LGBTQ rights, to ask for no racism, and to get vocal about social injustices have been highlighted lately. Wherever he goes, the interviewee ends up asking him about the matter. And every time Lewis Hamilton speaks out loud, “We are all humans,” no one stops us from speaking what we want to. Indeed, the ban that FIA has imposed recently is going against human rights.
In a new episode of The Fast and the Curious, the seven-time world champion said about what he thinks being a driver means. For Hamilton, the world needs more empathy and compassion. In the podcast, he said, “We are all human beings, and there are all these things in the world that people find challenging within h different countries through governments, people with opinions, social media, and all these different things.”
Doesn’t Matter If Lewis Hamilton Wins Races Or Not, He Will Keep Winning Hearts
According to the Mercedes superstar, Formula One is not just a platform of sport. It is worth vocal for other things too. “I just feel a huge responsibility [being a driver at this stage]. I am not just a Formula One driver,” said Lewis Hamilton. Being a driver, his duty overs when he drives the best, wins, achieve success, and just go about his life. But Hamilton says, “I just can’t [be that].”
The Briton believes that this platform can use to spark a change, spark a conversation, the uncomfortable conversations that people hesitate to speak about, but it’s important to get vocal. With this platform, we can hold people accountable who have been comfortable with the status quo in the past and that has held them down and made them feel excluded.
F1 is just a sport, but why can’t it be more diverse and different? “That frustrates me,” said the Briton. He admits that a change is something only we can make, and he himself wants to be a part of a campaign that is aimed just at making people feel more included. Motorsport, or any other sport or event taking place on this planet, can always be more diverse. There is always a chance to fix things and bring challenges. “I don’t care if I do not win another race, I am going to speak on those things” If you like it or not, Lewis Hamilton is not gonna stop making this world more comfortable for people who need it. Hamilton cares more about being a good human than being a good driver, which he already is by birth.