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Hamilton will possibly kneel again on Sunday

9 July 2020 at 19:17
  • GPblog.com

Last Sunday, Formula 1 stopped for a moment to support the Black Lives Matter movement in the fight against racism. Lewis Hamilton was one of the main catalysts, but he leaves everyone free to decide if they want to participate in the gesture. With the next Grand Prix on the agenda for this weekend, it looks like Hamilton will get back on his knee.

Black Lives Matters

Last weekend all drivers took a moment to reflect on the events in the world and that's where many drivers knelt. However, this weekend the procedure will be a bit different and therefore Hamilton is looking for a way to make this gesture again.

At RaceFans the six-time world champion says when asked if he is going to kneel again: “I don’t really know. This weekend I don’t believe we have that position that’s ahead of the national anthem where we have the space and the time to utilise the moment and make a stand." Hamilton doesn't want to make a fixed element of it either, but he feels encouraged by the many drivers who participated recently. Just like Red Bull Racing did.

"It was really encouraging to see at least one of the teams taking the knee. I think it was the Red Bull team, one of the Red Bull team cars taking a knee which I thought was great." For next weekend Hamilton hopes there will be a moment when he can make the gesture again, but he does state that it depends on time.

"Maybe if we have time there’s something my team and I could do. It’s just about time, there’s not a lot of time before the race. But what I do think is important though, is we, people of colour don’t really have the time to just have this as a small moment and then go back to things as normal. We really have to continue to speak out, to continue to utilise the moment to spread awareness and try to continue to push for change."

In that sense, it is important for Hamilton that people continue to make themselves heard, and for that reason he is open to new moments to get down on his knees. "I’m not against taking a knee again so if I can find a way of making sure it doesn’t get in the way of us doing our job then I will."