Hamilton tells Marko to 'wake up' to racism after insensitive remarks
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Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton says he is saddened and “quite offended” by remarks allegedly made by Red Bull chief Helmut Marko about his campaigning against racial inequality.Hamilton has been leading the way in F1’s response to the fight against racism and discrimination, with the six-time world champion using his social media platforms to post a number of strong anti-racist messages following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a white policeman in the United States last month.A number of drivers including Daniel Ricciardo, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris have since responded by lending their support to the Black Lives Matter movement following criticism from Hamilton.Multiple reports claimed that Red Bull advisor Marko had suggested to German broadcaster RTL that Hamilton could be “distracted” on the eve of the season, but the quote has not been verified. “Helmut, it deeply saddens me that you consider fighting for equal treatment of black people and people of colour, a distraction,” Hamilton responded in a post on Instagram.“I’m actually quite offended. A distraction for me was fans showing up in black face to taunt my family on race weekends.“A distraction for me was the unnecessary and additional adversity and unfair treatment I faced as a child, teen, and even now, due to the colour of my skin.“I hope this speaks volumes to the few people of colour you do have on your team, about your priorities and how you view them. Wake up. This sport needs to change.”F1 has confirmed it will fully support any public display of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, meaning Hamilton would not face action if he decided to ‘take a knee’ at the season-opener in Austria on July 5.
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