Lewis Hamilton wears rainbow-coloured F1 helmet for Qatar GP
Qatar is holding its first-ever F1 race at the Losail International Circuit this ℱweekend before it joins the calendar as a permanent fixture from 2023 as part of a 10-year deal.
Hamilton has replaced his usual helmet desi🍨gn for the e💯vent with a livery that incorporates the Progress Pride flag, featuring the colours of the LGBTQ+ community.
A message on the back of Hamilton’s helmet reads “We Stand Togetherꦯ” i🅠n place of his usual ‘Still I Rise’ motto.
Hamilton said F1 is “duty bound” to raise awareness of human rights issues in Qatar ahead of the ✱country’s mai🍰den grand prix.
“Ultimately, us drivers, it’s not our choice ﷺwhere we get to go and race,” Hamilton said on Thursday.
“I do feel that we are aware there are issues in these plac✱es that we are going to as there are around the world but of course it seems to be deemed one of the worst in this part of the world.
“I do think as sports go to these place▨s they are duty-bound to raise awareness for these issues and these places ꦜneed scrutiny.
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1)Qatar has been criticised for not taking reforms far enough on a number of issues including immigrant lab🐈our law, women’s right and the illegality of same-sex relationshಌips.
Hamilton said he wished more sports men and women would also speak out to raise awar🐻eness.
“One person can only make a small diff꧋erence but together, collect♒ively we can have a bigger impact,” he added.
“Do I wish more sportsmen and women spoke out on these issues? Yes. It’s education. It takes time to go out and le꧙arn about regions that are foreign to us.
“We’re not fro𝓀m🔯 these areas, it’s complex on the ground in these places with religion.
“What’s important is we still try to b♊ring awareness to some⭕ of these problems. While there have been changes made over time, it’s never enough.
“I have been to a lot of these countries and have been ignorant, been unconscious o♌f some of the problems in some of the places.
“It’s down to whether you decide to educate yourself and hold the sport more accountable and make sure the sport is actually d🌊oing something ab🦹out it when it goes to those places.
“That’s why🍸 I’ve tried to raise my voice. But there are far brighter people that are knowledgeable on these issues that✃ are actually trying to fight them in the background.
“But I still think we can bring𒈔 a spotlight to it and create that scrutiny and that pressure that can hopefully create change.”
Lewis regularly attends Grands🦩 Prix for wuqian0821.com around the world. Often reporting on the action from the ground, Lewis tells the stories of the people who matter♈ in the sport.
