Lewis Hamilton: Vinícius Jr. 'incredibly brave' for speaking out against racism
Seven-time world championship driver Lewis Hamilton is applauding Real Madrid's Vinícius Jr., who he called "incredibly brave" for speaking out against racism – something that "really hits home" for Hamilton, the lone Black driver in Formula One.
“It’s devastating to think that in 2023 we’re still seeing these things and hearing these things,” Hamilton said Thursday ahead of this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. “There is no room for discrimination in society today. Sports need to do more, we all need to continue to do more. If we see it, hear it – we need to do something about it."
Hamilton, an advocate for diversity, has been open about his own experiences with racism in his sport.
"It's devastating to think that, in 2023, we're still seeing these things."
Lewis Hamilton commends Vinicius Jr. after the Real Madrid player was the victim of racist abuse during a match against Valencia. pic.twitter.com/aS5m8ByNfc— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 25, 2023
“It really brings up emotions about things that I experienced, whether it’s back in the UK or whether it was when I was racing in Italy or in France or in Spain," Hamilton said. "It can be so hurtful the things that people say."
Vinícius Jr. has been the target of several incidents since joining the La Liga club in 2018. He was met with racist taunts of "mono" — Spanish for "monkey" — during Real Madrid's 1-0 loss to Valencia on Sunday. "Death wishes, hanged dolls, criminal screams... This is not football. This is inhuman," Vinícius Jr. said in an Instagram post Monday.
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"I think it’s amazing what so many of these (athletes) that are experiencing that on the pitch are doing in terms of standing tall and standing strong," Hamilton added. "Continuing to be humble in their approach, not being reactive but being responsible when moving forward because they know lots of young kids are watching."
Hamilton shared Vinícius Jr.'s social media post to his 32 million Instagram followers and wrote "standing with you," alongside a Black fist bump emoji. Hamilton said he hopes to eventually :visit and support" Vinícius Jr at a match.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lewis Hamilton cheers Vinícius Jr. for speaking out against racism
