Six-time Formula One world champion, Lewis Hamilton has slammed Bernie Ecclestone after the ex-F1 Group chief executive said that “in many cases, black people are more racist than white people”.
The British business magnate, 89, made the controversial comments during an interview with CNN, while reacting to recent Black Lives Matter protests in the wake of the death of George Floyd in the US.
He said: ‘In lots of cases black people are more racist than what white people are.
‘[It’s just] things over the years that I’ve noticed, and there’s no need for it. I’m against injustice for anyone, whatever colour they are. It’s important to do something about that for a start.’
Lewis Hamilton, 35, who has been vocal throughout the Black Lives Matter movement has now hit out at Bernie Ecclestone in a series of Instagram posts following the controversial comments he made while reacting to Black Lives Matter protests.
The British superstar wrote: ‘Damn, I just don’t even know where to start with this one. So sad and disappointing to read these comments.’
He continued: ‘Bernie is out of the sport and a different generation but this is exactly what is wrong – ignorant and uneducated comments which show us how far we as a society need to go before real equality can happen.
‘It makes complete sense to me now that nothing was said or done to make our sport more diverse or to address the racial abuse I received throughout my career.
‘If someone who has run the sport for decades has such a lack of understanding of the deep routed issues we as black people deal with every day, how can we expect all the people who work under him to understand. It starts at the top.
‘Now the time has come for change. I will not stop pushing to create an inclusive future for our sport with equal opportunity for all.
‘To create a world that provides equal opportunity for minorities. I will continue to use my voice to represent those who don’t have one, and to speak for those who are underrepresented to provide an opportunity to have a chance in our sport.
Hamilton, who is a victim of racial abuse recently detailed all of the incidents he had faced in his career, including one that happened in Spain in 2008 where fans taunted him in blackface during a tournament.
Shocking pictures from the race 12 years ago showed fans in blackface, wearing t-shirts with ‘Hamilton’s family’ written on them.
