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Hamilton warning despite protest support: 'We believe in what people are fighting for'

The seven-time World Champion sympathises with the cause, but warns that track invasions could have consequences.

Lewis Hamilton has warned that protesters could be putting themselves in 'harms away' if they attempt to invade the track during the British Grand Prix weekend. Just Stop Oil protesters have wreaked havoc on British sporting events so far in 2023, with disruptions at the Ashes tournament and causing matches to be suspended at Wimbledon. Six protesters also invaded the track at the start of last years race at Silverstone and were subsequently handed suspended sentences. Hamilton hopes lessons have been learned, with extra safety measures set to be put in place he told media, including RacingNews365.com : "Naturally we’re really hoping that we’ve learnt from last year's experience. "I believe we have 100 more marshals this weekend to make sure it doesn’t happen."

Lando Norris has said protesters should not engage in "stupid" and "selfish" actions by invading the track , while teammate Oscar Piastri echoed the dangers of jumping onto a live race track versus a cricket field. Hamilton was asked if he supports the protests without putting themselves in any danger. He responded: "Yeah, I support peaceful protest." The seven-time world champion highlighted F1's focus on being more sustainable and the conscious effort to reduce emissions to net zero from 2030. "We are very focused on sustainability - we believe in what people are fighting for, but safety is key and we don't want anyone in harms way. If there is a protest, we hope it’s not on track."

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