HAMILTON CELEBRATES WITH CLENCHED FIST
The Associated Press assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Bobby Kennedy made ‘68 one of the most turbulent years in American history. Wearing black gloves, the sprinters raised their fists in solidarity while the Star-spangled Banner played.
When Serena Williams won her seventh Wimbledon title in 2016, she proudly raised her fist in a Black Power salute at the All-england Club in 2016. That same year, former National Football League quarterback Colin Kaepernick started taking a knee to raise awareness for black athlete activism. Williams and Hamilton have both referenced the Black Lives Matter movement, which Hamilton wore on the front of his t-shirt on Sunday.
Hamilton has spoken out against racism since the death in May of George Floyd—a handcuffed and unarmed Black man—after a police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly eight minutes in May. Hamilton attended a Black Lives Matter march in London and is setting up a commission to increase diversity in motorsport.
His Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas kneeled after winning last Sunday’s Austrian GP and the team has thrown its support behind Hamilton by racing in all-black cars for this season.
“As a team we’re keeping the black all year long, so we’re going to be fighting and pushing for it all year,” the 35-year-old Hamilton said. “Personally it’s going to be a lifelong thing for me.”
Hamilton called out teams last week for not doing enough to combat racism.
Although he also praised F1 Chairman Chase Carey and governing body FIA for donating money to help promote more equality and diversity in F1, Hamilton clearly feels there is still a long way to go.
“Of course there are signs but action is needed. It’s great to see Chase being so kind as to donate a million dollars and the FIA to step up and also give a million dollars,” Hamilton said. “But if you don’t know the problem then you can’t fix it, and a million dollars doesn’t really go that far. A lot of work needs to go on with Formula One. The FIA really do need to be a part of it, and I think the drivers need to be a part of it also as we have a great voice and great platforms.” into the pits on the fifth lap and was soon out of the race.
At last season’s penultimate GP in Brazil, they had bashed into each other. Vettel appeared at fault that time after being overtaken cleanly by Leclerc, and recklessly trying to regain position.
But this time Leclerc was far too hasty and impatient.
“I apologized [to Vettel]. Obviously excuses are not enough in times like this. I am just disappointed in myself,” the 22-year-old Leclerc said. “I’ve done a very bad job today. I let the team down.”
Leclerc won two races and led all F1 drivers last season for pole positions—even beating world champion Lewis Hamilton, 7-5—but he was quick to recognize he missed the bigger picture this time.
“I put all thoughts of the team in the bin,” Leclerc said. “I can only be sorry, even though I know it’s not enough. I hope I will learn from this and we will come back stronger for the next races.”
Leclerc finished fourth in the world championship last year, Vettel only fifth.
Vettel is not getting a new contract for next year and is being replaced by Mclaren’s Carlos Sainz. Jr.
Ferrari has not won the drivers’ title since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007 and the constructors’ title the previous year.
Pressure is growing on team principal Mattia Binotto. He sounded despondent on Saturday, where Leclerc failed to even make it into the third and final part of qualifying.