With no Formula One race to compete in, Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton spent part of his weekend weighing in on the peaceful protests that continued to take place across the NFL.
Hamilton, the first black driver in F1’s history, on Sunday posted a picture of Martin Luther King Jr. with the hashtag #takeaknee to express his support for players who opt to kneel during “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
Although he is the only member of the F1 paddock to comment on the hot-button issue, he isn’t the only racer. NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. similarly tweeted Monday, apparently pledging his support for Americans’ right to peacefully protest.
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The three-time F1 world champion took to Instagram again Monday — presumably in response to the comments on the MLK picture — calling on people to educate themselves so they can fully engage in the debate. His follow-up post featured a picture of Colin Kaepernick, who many believe is without an NFL job because he protested racial inequality during the anthem while he played, as well as the names of African Americans, such as Freddie Gray, who died while in police custody.
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President Donald Trump brought attention to the demonstrations during a rally Friday in Alabama, where he said that teams should fire any “SOB” who doesn’t stand for the anthem. In response, Kaepernick’s mother, Teresa, tweeted, “Guess that makes me a proud b—h!”
Thumbnail photo via Mercedes-AMG Petronas
