(Doha) Briton Lewis Hamilton wore a helmet with the colors of the rainbow flag, symbol of the LGBT community, during testing for the Qatar Grand Prix on Friday, after raising the issue of human rights in the Gulf countries.
During testing for the Grand Prix of Qatar, a country visited for the first time by Formula 1, Hamilton wore a helmet representing the rainbow flag embellished with other bands of black, brown, blue, pink and white and the mention “We stand together”.
PHOTO LARS BARON, ASSOCIATED PRESS
The helmet worn by Lewis Hamilton bears the rainbow flag and is embellished with other stripes of black, brown, blue, pink and white and the words “We stand together” (“We are united”).
“I think we are all aware that there are problems in some countries where we go and especially in this part of the world”, explained Thursday the seven-time world champion.
The first black driver in F1, who made the fight against discrimination his fight off the track, felt that Formula 1, “coming here, has a duty to educate people on these issues” of human rights.
For Hamilton, the drivers have to “make the sport more responsible and make sure that the sport really does something when it goes to these countries, and that’s why I tried to raise my voice”.
Homosexuality and Islam
“I know that these countries are trying to make progress, and that we cannot transform everything overnight,” he continued, noting that he was “not (originally from) these regions” and that the situation was “incredibly complex, especially with religion”.
“One person cannot change much, but together, collectively, we can have a bigger impact,” he said.
With him at a press conference, McLaren driver Lando Norris also estimated that “as a community, as Formula 1”, sport could have an impact, while F1 will go to Saudi Arabia in early December for the first time.
Hamilton’s helmet is reminiscent of the t-shirt and mask worn by another former world champion, Sebastian Vettel, this summer at the Hungarian Grand Prix, in the midst of a debate on a law accused by many European leaders of including discrimination against towards LGBT + people.