Lewis Hamilton has promised “not to stop pushing for an inclusive future” after recent comments made in an interview with CNN by former F1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone about race and equality.
Hamilton turned to Instagram to post a rebuttal to Ecclestone’s comments, initially writing “damn, I just don’t know where to start in this case,” before continuing, “So sad and disappointing to read these comments.
READ MORE: F1 issues statement after Bernie Ecclestone’s recent comments
“Bernie is out of sport and a different generation, but this is exactly what is wrong: ignorant and uneducated comments that show us how far we must go as a society before real equality can occur.
“It makes a lot of 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 practiced the sport for decades has a lack of understanding of the deep route [sic] problems that we as black people deal with every day, how can we expect all the people who work with it to understand it? Start at the top.
“Now is the time for change. I will not stop pressing to create an inclusive future for our sport with equal opportunities for all. Create a world that provides equal opportunities for minorities. I will continue to use my voice to represent those who do not have one and to speak for those who are underrepresented to provide an opportunity to have a chance in our sport. “
The six-time Mercedes champion recently launched the Hamilton Commission, which aims to make motorsports “as diverse as the complex and multicultural world we live in,” while Formula 1 has also established a Task Force and foundation , together with the #WeRaceAsOne initiative, designed to increase diversity and inclusion in sport.
