Lewis Hamilton says he is looking forward to seeing how F1 pushes forward with its commitment to improve diversity and inclusion for 2022 and beyond. Since the start of the 2020 season, and against the backdrop of global anti-racism protests, F1 has run its 'We Race As One' diversity and sustainability initiative, with drivers also forming at the front of the grid and given the option to take the knee. However, F1 boss Stefano Domenicali confirmed last month that this pre-race ceremony would be dropped from 2022 onwards , saying that the time was right to move away from gestures and towards concrete action instead, a notion Hamilton supports. "I do think what Stefano said made sense, that it's about action now, and so that's something that I look forward and welcome to seeing over a period of time," said Hamilton on the sidelines of F1's first pre-season test at Barcelona.
Hamilton's F1 diversity push
Some 15 years on from his F1 debut in 2007, Hamilton remains the only black driver to have raced in a Grand Prix, and has been a vocal proponent of increasing diversity and inclusion across F1 and motorsport. The Briton established the Hamilton Commission in 2020 to investigate why so few black people enter motorsport, with measures including calling for teams to adopt a diversity and inclusion charter. "I had a great call last year with all the teams about getting included in this charter, so every team's trying to push for diversity," said Hamilton, adding that he felt the combination of many different messages into one ceremony may have diluted their impact. "I did feel that, with the overall slogan last year compiling [different issues] into one [ceremony], I think we can do more and be more impactful somehow, but I don't know what that is yet," he commented.
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