DEFIANT LEWIS: SPORT IS A PLACE FOR POLITICS

LEWIS HAMILTON goes into a potentially historic Russian Grand Prix threatening to defy Formula One bosses by breaking their anti-politics rules. The six-time world champion, who leads this year’s championship by 55 points, wore a T-shirt carrying the slogan, ‘Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor’, on the podium at Mugello a fortnight ago — a reference to the death of a black medical worker who was shot multiple times during a botched drugs raid in Louisville, Kentucky, in March. After looking into the apparent breach of the FIA’s non-political regulations, the sport’s governing body will ‘clarify’ what can be worn ahead of Sunday’s race, where the Briton can match Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 Formula One victories.

Sportsmail understands that Hamilton (right) will be told he cannot wear crusading messages during the podium ceremony, though he may be allowed to do so while he takes a knee before the race. ‘Lots of rules have been written for me over the years but that hasn’t stopped me,’ said Hamilton, who earlier wrote on social media that he was ‘sad but not surprised’ at news on Wednesday that none of the police involved in the shooting had been charged with murder. He added: ‘I have not spoken to the FIA. What was really positive was the support I got from the fans. I don’t regret a single moment of it. ‘I usually follow my heart and do what is right and I felt that was me following my heart. ‘I did something that has never really happened in Formula One before, and obviously they will stop it from happening again. People say sport is not a place for politics, but it is about human rights issues, and in my mind that is something we should be pushing towards. ‘We have a huge group of amazing people from different backgrounds and cultures who watch our sport, and we should be pushing positive messages to them, especially about equality.’