Lewis Hamilton has admitted to changing his approach in the fight against racism, stating diplomacy is sometimes needed rather than just calling people out. The Brit has led the charge within the sport to bring more equality and change, calling out other drivers and taking a knee before races in 2020. However Hamilton himself admits he's learned that being outspoken isn't always the right approach, as there are times diplomacy is needed to try and enact change in F1. “That’s something I had already started to experience last year,” Hamilton told Wired.co.uk . “At the beginning of the year I was very outspoken and calling out the sport. "At the time that was the right thing for me, but I discovered that there’s times where you have to be very diplomatic, where there’s more you can do by discussions in the background, rather than embarrassing people. “I’m having conversations, trying to hold people in the sport more accountable. I’m constantly sending emails, I’m constantly on Zoom calls with Formula 1 and challenging them like they wouldn’t want to be challenged. I think I want to be one of those change-makers. A catalyst for change. I really hope that 10 years from now I can look back and say that I maximised my time and I made the right choices and I really had a positive impact.” Hamilton also stated that the death of Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old that was shot by police in the USA during a botched raid of her apartment, gave him new motivation during the 2020 campaign. “That was my drive, and that really became my drive through the whole year – encouraging people out there to use their voice to speak out," Hamilton added. "That became a new motivation for me – all of a sudden I had this different energy. I was racing for something and somebody else.”
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