Lewis Hamilton to continue sporting social justice messages despite FIA resistance

Reigning Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton says the FIA will come up with a new set of guidelines to prevent him from sending a political message like he did the last time at the Tuscan GP. The British racer voiced his support for the growing 'Justice for Breonna Taylor' movement by donning a BLM t-shirt that featured 'Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor' at the front, and 'Say Her Name' at the back. Subsequent reports suggested that Hamilton could be investigated by the FIA to determine if his message during the Tuscan GP was a political statement, which is strictly against F1 guidelines. 

Also Read | Lewis Hamilton Faces FIA Investigation For Donning Breonna Taylor Shirt During Tuscan GP

FIA vs Lewis Hamilton? 

While Lewis Hamilton avoided a punishment last time out, the six-time champion said F1 will introduce new guidelines prior to Russian GP to address the issue. Speaking to reporters during Thursday's press conference, the 35-year-old said: "I don't regret a single moment of it. I usually follow my heart and do what I feel is right and I felt that was me following my heart." 

Despite the reports of an investigation, Hamilton revealed he was extremely delighted to see the positive response from fans. "I also did something that's never really happened in Formula 1 and obviously they'll stop it from happening moving forwards, but people do talk about the sport not being a place for politics and ultimately it's human rights issues and, in my opinion, that is something we should be pushing towards," he added. 

Hamilton remains adamant to continue using his platform to bring awareness to the social injustice issues plaguing the world. The British racer said he is even willing to work with Formula One and the FIA to make sure that messages sent during events are right and don't violate any guidelines. 

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Lewis Hamilton reacts to Breonna Taylor ruling

On March 13, Breonna Taylor was killed in her Louisville apartment after a police raid went horribly wrong. The officers later justified their actions stating they had to resort to firing after Taylor's boyfriend Kenneth Walker shot at them first. Taylor became the unfortunate victim of the crossfire, something which led to massive unrest in the United States. 

The decision made by the Kentucky Grand Jury with respect to her case was heavily slammed by most. The jury decided not to move forward with the charges of murder against any of the police officers, instead charging officer Brett Hankison on three counts of wanton endangerment in connection to the raid. State Attorney General Daniel Cameron said in a press conference that the officers did not use a no-knock warrant to enter Taylor's apartment and that they fired back only after Walker fired the first shot.

Also Read | Charles Barkley Slammed On Social Media For Defending Police In Breonna Taylor Case

Lewis Hamilton expressed his disappointment with the decision by sharing a post on Instagram - which was taken down later. Hamilton said he was "sad but not surprised" at the outcome. He further stated that the police continue to get away with murder every single day, something which needs to stop. The 35-year-old said the decision does not serve any justice to Breonna Taylor, who was innocent and did not deserve to get shot and killed. 

Meanwhile, back in the world of F1, with a win at the Sochi Olympic Park this weekend, Lewis Hamilton will equal F1 legend's Michael Schumacher's record of 91 race wins. Hamilton is expected to surpass the tally before the current season concludes. With another championship accolade this season, he could also match Schumacher's tally of seven F1 championships. Hamilton is currently leading the drivers' standings with 190 points and six wins. 

Also Read | Lewis Hamilton's Black Lives Matter Gestures Branded "too Much" By Vitaly Petrov

(Image Credits: Lewis Hamilton Twitter)