LEWIS HAMILTON will NOT boycott the Belgian Grand Prix despite being “fully aligned” with the Jacob Blake protests.
A number of American athletes boycotted games after widespread unrest in response to the shooting of Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Lewis Hamilton will race in Belgian despite his support for American boycottsCredit: EPA
Blake, a black man, was shot seven times in the back by Police in horrifying footage and has been left paralysed from the waist down.
In response, three NBA play-off games, two Major League Baseball matches, three WNBA games and five MLS football fixtures were postponed after player-led protests.
Hamilton – a leading voice during the Black Lives Matter movement in recent months – will still race on.
He told Sky Sports: “It’s a shame that’s what’s needed over there to get a reaction.
“But that is in America and I don’t know if really me doing anything here will particularly have any effect.
“We’re in Belgium, we’re not in the United States.
“I haven’t spoken to anyone about it but I am really proud with so many out there and I do stand unified with them.
“Trying to do what I can over here, I don’t really know how us not doing the race, it will still go on, is a thing.
“But I will try to speak to Formula 1 to see what else we can do to continue to raise awareness.
“Naturally as a sport, I think we all need to be aligned, supportive of each other, even though it’s a different sport.”
The six-time world champ elaborated on his feelings about the racial injustices across the Atlantic.
He added: “Ultimately it’s disgusting that minorities and people out there have to protest to get justice.
“And even when they do, justice is still not given.
“It’s such a mess over there but I’m really so inspired and proud of the other athletes out there that are utilising the platform they have, using their voice.
“We already started seeing it with Colin Kaepernick a long time ago – it’s like four years ago now – who lost his job for standing for what was right.
“There needs to be change and it’s going to take all of these great athletes and people coming together to really push and force for change, because it needs to be forced.
“Because at the moment you’ve got the president sitting there not doing anything and you see Martin Luther King obviously was fighting for the same issues 60 years ago and gave his life up, and we’re still fighting it today.
“I just take a lot of inspiration from it and I feel fully aligned with them. My heart and thoughts and prayers go out to those continuously on a daily basis are losing their lives through racism.”
Lewis Hamilton claims F1 chiefs are trying to stop him winning a seventh world title by slowing Mercedes down
Source: Motorsport - thesun.co.uk
