27/08/2020
NEWS STORY
World champion, Lewis Hamilton says he has no intention of following the example of a number of other sports stars who have refused to participate in their sports following the shooting of Jacob Blake.
Blake was shot by the police in Kenosha, Wisconsin last Sunday and other than widespread civil unrest, players and teams have withdrawn from various games and tournament in protest.
Tennis player Naomi Osaka pulled out of a major tournament in New York today, while NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer events have been postponed following boycotts, initiated by the Milwaukee Bucks' basketball team players who refused to leave their locker room ahead of their game.
Hamilton, who has become increasingly outspoken in recent months, took to Instagram earlier to give his support to Osaka, sparking fears that he could follow suit and refuse to participate in this weekend's Grand Prix.
Asked at today's video conference if he is considering withdrawing from the event, he said: "It's incredible what many out there in the States are doing within their sports, all the way down to the people that are hosting, the commentators for example.
"So many people are standing with the players, and really pushing for change," he continued. "It's a shame that's what is needed over there in order to get a reaction. But that is in America, and I don't know if me doing anything here will particularly have any effect. We're in Belgium, we're not in the United States.
"I haven't spoken to anybody about it, but I am really proud of so many out there. I do stand unified with them, trying to do what I can over here.
"I don't know how us not doing the race…" he continued, "it will still go on, it's a thing. But I'll still try and speak to Formula 1 to see what else we can do, to continue to raise awareness, continue to help push. Naturally I think as a sport, I think we all need to be aligned. We all need to be supporting one another, even though it is a different sport."
Sebastian Vettel, a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, agreed that while shocked by events in Kenosha, he did not feel boycotting the race would have any impact in the US.
"The measures that have been taken in the US with some players boycotting or going on strike, not going out for the games and therefore the games having to be postponed, I think maybe they are more US-specific," he said. "From where we are, we seem to be quite happy as drivers of our actions, and want to keep sending that message.
"Having said that, we know that it doesn't change things overnight, and it's only a very small contribution," he admitted. "But hopefully everybody that's tuned in and sees it gets the point and gets the message, and takes a bit of that for the next steps that he faces in life.
"One thing is to take action in public," he insisted. "I think more importantly, it's what everyone is deciding or how everyone is acting or confronting it once the cameras are off. That's true for us, being in a spotlight in a certain amount during a weekend, but also valid for everyone else."
Of course, while F1 bosses have been happy to introduce the 'We Race As One' initiative and introduce a pre-race ceremony aimed at shedding light on the various issues, the idea of boycotting races is another matter entirely.
At a time the sport is reporting a 90% drop in revenue and doing all in its power to pull together some semblance of a championship season, a race boycott - for whatever reason - would be disastrous and its effects would be felt throughout the paddock.
And, of course, it goes without saying that as F1's owners, Liberty Media seek to expand the sport in the US, such a boycott would not be well received.
Over the years, US F1 fans have been given a raw deal by the sport, and with the fiasco of Indianapolis 2005 still fresh in many minds, a race boycott - even in far-away Europe - could prove the final straw.
Check out our Thursday gallery from Spa, here.