Lewis Hamilton opens up about F1 condemns racist abuse suffered after the Max Verstappen crash
Lewis Hamilton has spoken out about the racist abuse he suffered in the aftermath of a dramatic British Grand Prix. He and title rival Max Verstappen collided on the opening lap of the race before a penalised Hamilton came back to win in controversial circumstances.
Despite harsh words directed towards the Brit during and after the race, Red Bull strongly condemned those hurling racist abuse towards the Mercedes man.
In a recent press conference, the seven-time champion said: “It was amazing to see the support from my team and some of the drivers.
“I felt for the first time that I didn’t stand alone in a sport.
For all the other years I’ve been racing, no one would have ever said anything. So it was really amazing to see the steps that have been taken.
“There’s no room for that sort of abuse, but if I have to be on the receiving end of that in this industry for people to become aware, then that’s part of my journey.”
The abuse was made more significant because Hamilton has been a growing voice in the sporting world regarding racial injustice.
After an aggressive move on the opening lap of the British Grand Prix, Hamilton was thrust into the firing line,e sent Verstappen hurtling into the tyre wall, ending his race.
Hamilton was handed a 10-second penalty following the crash, but the seven-time world champion delivered a superb comeback drive to record his eighth win on home soil.
Verstappen was taken to hospital after the 190mph shunt, which registered at 51G, before being released later "without any major injuries", his Red Bull team said.
Red Bull also issued a statement criticizing the attacks on Hamilton.
"While we may be fierce rivals on the track, we are all united against racism," the team said. "We condemn racist abuse of any kind towards our teams, our competitors and our fans.
"As a team, we are disgusted and saddened to witness the racist abuse Lewis endured yesterday on social media after the collision with Max. There is never any excuse for it. There is certainly no place for it in our sport, and those responsible should be held accountable."
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