FORMULA 1 star Lewis Hamilton is unsure if he will continue taking a knee for the rest of the season.
The Brit racing hero knelt alongside 13 other drivers prior to Sunday’s F1 return in Austria.
Hamilton was one of 14 drivers to kneel prior to the raceCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Hamilton, 35, also wore a t-shirt adorning the message “Black Lives Matter”, while all of his colleagues sported the message “End Racism” on their garments.
A carpet was laid out on the start line, with those that did kneel producing powerful images that were beamed around the world.
But while he remains committed to fighting for social justice, Hamilton is unsure if he will continue to take a knee for the rest of the season.
He told the Press Association: “I don’t know what the plan is moving forward.
I think ultimately everything we do is not going to be enough and we all need to do more.
Lewis Hamilton
“It’s really great that Formula 1, and particular Mercedes, have taken note of the issues we’re facing across the world and deciding to do something about it.
“I think ultimately everything we do is not going to be enough and we all need to do more.
“There’s been awareness for a couple of weeks and what we don’t need it to do is die a sudden death, and just disappear and we see no change, so somehow and ultimately I could be the guinea pig there.
“I will keep speaking out.
“And going back to it, all of us, myself included, everyone has to look at accountability and see what they can do better within their organisation and their own team.
“Moving forwards, I don’t know if I’ll continue to [take a knee].”
It is understood that no carpet will be laid for this weekend’s race, meaning that drivers will have to find another place to kneel if they so wish.
Romain Grosjean and Sebastian Vettel, it has emerged, were the drivers to bring up the subject of kneeling in last Friday’s players-only meeting.
The Brit racing hero was the only driver on Sunday to wear a Black Lives Matter t-shirtCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Hamilton continued: “I never requested or demanded anybody to take a knee, I never even brought it up.
“It was brought up by Formula 1, and it was brought up by the GPDA.
“When we did the drivers’ briefing, Seb and Grosjean both brought it up and asked the drivers whether or not they would do it, and there were obviously several that said that they wouldn’t, and I let everyone just say what they wanted to say.
“I opened up to them and I said, ‘Look, guys, I will be doing it, but you do what you feel is right.’
“I’m really, really grateful for those who did it along with me; I think it’s still a really powerful message.”
Max Verstappen, Antonio Giovinazzi, Daniil Kvyat, Carlos Sainz, Charles Leclerc and Kimi Raikkonen were the six drivers to elect not to kneel, with Leclerc labelling the gesture as “controversial” in some countries.
Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo, who did kneel, has said that he believes all drivers stand behind the message, however.
He told Yahoo Sport: “I just think there was a little bit of difficulty with some drivers and their nationality, and what something like taking a knee would represent.
The powerful images were beamed around the worldCredit: Getty Images – Getty
“Obviously the reasons why we would do it is purely to support Black Lives Matter.
“It is for nothing political or anything else… We all understood that we will do what we feel comfortable with.
“But no one is going to be judged or criticised if they don’t stand there in a certain way or take a knee.”
Lewis Hamilton nearing one-race F1 ban after Mercedes ace picks up four more penalty points during Austria GP
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
