F1: 14 of 20 drivers take a knee before season opener at Austria
Led by six-time series champion Lewis Hamilton, 14 Formula One drivers took a knee Sunday before the season-opening Austrian Grand Prix.
Hamilton, the only Black driver in F1, wore a shirt in support of Black Lives Matter, a cause he vocally has been supporting for the past month. The other 19 drivers wore “End Racism” shirts, which was painted on the track.
Hamilton has formed a council to study minority involvement in motorsports and has challenged F1 and its teams to diversify its staffs. His Mercedes team is running all-black cars this season for Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas to raise awareness of BLM.
As individuals, we choose our own way to support the cause. As a group of drivers and a wider F1 family, we are united in its goal.#WeRaceAsOne pic.twitter.com/qjxYi1zWcJ
Of the 20 drivers in the field, six elected to stand: Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen, Antonio Giovinazzi, Daniil Kvyat, Carlos Sainz Jr. and Kimi Raikkonen.
