Lewis Hamilton’s F1 rivals say ‘racist things’ as Sebastian Vettel backs star

Lewis Hamilton has revealed that he was warned by Sebastian Vettel about ‘racist things’ being said about him by rival Formula One teams behind his back. The Brit is the only black driver to have ever raced in F1 and has never shied away from tackling racial discrimination in motorsport and other areas of society.

Hamilton was often supported by Vettel when it came to standing up against injustices on the grid, with the four-time champion regularly taking the knee alongside his Mercedes rival while pushing for acceptance in the F1 paddock. It has since been revealed by Hamilton that Vettel, who he credits as his closest ally, once warned him about racist comments being aimed in his direction by other teams.

Speaking on the DAZN programme True Driver, Hamilton said: “We have to get people to empathise, we need empathy. Sometimes I wonder, does nobody else care? Sebastian was one of those who supported me the most.

“He told me that in some teams they spoke racist things about me. He knelt down with me in 2020, I have not yet seen a driver as brave as him. The laws must be changed so that people live better. We are risking our lives to try to educate others.”

Vettel gained an interest in environmentalism during the latter stages of his F1 career and took it upon himself to shed light on sustainable practices throughout his final season. Hamilton, meanwhile, has also spoken up about a range of other societal issues during his time in F1, with the Brit a staunch defender of LGBTQ+ acceptance, animal rights and preserving the environment.

Hamilton is almost certain to keep striving for progress over the next few years, both in F1 and away from the track, although he has not yet decided what the future will hold for him in terms of his continued activism.

“I don’t know what my next project will be,” he said. “Animal protection laws have to continue to be reviewed, with the environment. It’s hard for people to see the disasters that happen.

“I have Mission 44, a project that I launched in London and I want to expand it to Africa and the US, with which we want to instil in children that they can have a good future, that they can become engineers or whatever they want.”

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