Lewis Hamilton, the renowned Formula One driver and the sport’s only Black driver, has commended Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr for his courageous response to the racist insults he faced in Spain. Hamilton also revealed that the incidents triggered painful memories from his own career in motorsport, emphasizing the urgency to address the issue.
Vinicius, the talented Brazilian forward, took to social media to condemn the racist abuse he endured from the crowd during a match in Valencia on Sunday, openly referring to LaLiga and Spain as racist. The Real Madrid player’s outspokenness resonated with Hamilton, who lauded Vinicius as “incredibly brave” for speaking out against discrimination.
Speaking at the Monaco Grand Prix, Hamilton, the seven-times world champion, expressed his distress over such incidents persisting in 2023. Given his deep connection with Brazil, where he clinched his first championship title in 2008 and where he was granted honorary citizenship last year, Hamilton understands the significance of combating racial discrimination firsthand.
Recalling his own encounters with racism, Hamilton revealed incidents that happened during his debut season in 2007, when he was teammates with Spaniard Fernando Alonso at McLaren and while testing at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona in 2008.
Hamilton then concluded by urging the sports community to take more robust action in addressing this pervasive issue. While progress has been made, he stressed the need for continuous efforts to eradicate racism from sports and society as a whole.
