Hamilton: "I want to be a catalyst for change"
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Lewis Hamilton has developed into an activist in the past year, speaking out against racism in particular. He talks about what was the turning point for him to use his voice as an athlete to expose this.
Not long before the start of the 2020 Formula One season, George Floyd was killed while being arrested. This was an impulse for the Black Lives Matter movement, as well as for Hamilton. "When I saw what happened to George it brought out all the emotions and experiences from my childhood," Hamilton says in an interview with Wired. "I thought, 'It's finally happened. Now I can't take it anymore."
Hamilton wants to become a catalyst for change
He continued this in Formula 1, kneeling prior to each race. Some drivers followed him in this gesture, others stuck to the 'End Racism' t-shirt. In September, he again opened up about the subject, appearing in a t-shirt that read 'Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor'. "Normally my focus is on winning and perfection, but this race I wanted to win for Breonna. I thought, 'I have to be on the podium so I can wear this shirt'".
"That was my drive, and it stayed that way throughout the rest of the season. It became a new motivation - I was racing for something and someone else." If it were up to Hamilton, his activism would become characteristic of him as a driver. "I want to be someone who brings about change, a catalyst for change. I hope in ten years time I can say I've really had a positive impact," said the world champion.