Hamilton set to ‘take a knee’ when Formula One returns in Austria

Lewis Hamilton is set to ‘take a knee’ when Formula One returns in Austria next month.

Sources close to the six-time world champion have indicated he is determined to make a public display of support for Black Lives Matter at the Red Bull Ring on the first weekend of July.

Hamilton, F1’s only black driver ever, has championed the anti-racism movement since the killing of George Floyd by a white policeman in Minneapolis last month.

View this post on Instagram

These past few weeks, we've seen the world open its eyes to the realities of racism today. People all over the world have united, and are using their voices and platforms in the fight for racial equality, and against police brutality and white supremacy. While we still have a long way to go in addressing this issue, I want to take a moment to appreciate the positive steps that have been taken so far, as a result of our collective voices and actions. We've seen laws being passed. We’ve seen police officers held accountable and charged for their fatal actions. Brands have started to align themselves with the Black Lives Matter movement, and are educating themselves on how they can do better. There's also been a surge in the sale of anti-racist books, and many are watching films and documentaries to better educate themselves on our experience. More and more, we are seeing people wanting to learn about black history. This is only the beginning and there is still so much change to come. 📸: @misanharriman

A post shared by Lewis Hamilton(@lewishamilton) on Jun 9, 2020 at 1:12pm PDT

Among a series of Instagram posts, he included a picture of Martin Luther King praying on one knee at a civil rights march.

Hamilton, 35, wrote: ‘Rules and beliefs that were created hundreds of years ago still exist and poison society. MLK gave his life for the same thing we are fighting for today, and still there is no justice.

‘Who’s going to lead us today? The leaders we have selected fail us time and time again. We must continue to rage into the night until change happens.’

A Formula One spokesman told Sportsmail: ‘This is a very important issue and we support anyone who wants to show their support in the fight against racism.’

Daily Mail