Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Silverstone, 2022

Hamilton: Stop sharing views of ‘old voices’ like Ecclestone, Piquet and Stewart

2022 British Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton has claimed the views of some older Formula 1 figures should not be shared when they promote discrimination.

The Mercedes driver made his comments after three-time world champion Nelson Piquet was condemned for describing him using a racist term in a video which circulated on social media this week. Piquet has been barred from the F1 paddock as a result of his comments and is being stripped of his honorary membership of the British Racing Drivers’ Club.

Formula Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone came to Piquet’s defence in a televised interview this morning, claiming Hamilton should have “brushed off” the comment. He also restated his praise for Vladimir Putin, despite the Russian president waging a war on Ukraine which has already killed thousands this year.

Speaking in the FIA press conference ahead of this weekend’s British Grand Prix, Hamilton said he was “incredibly grateful to all those that have been supportive within the sport, particularly the drivers” following Piquet’s comment. Several drivers publicly expressed support for Hamilton on social media after the remarks came to light.

Report: Piquet gets F1 paddock ban after apologising to Hamilton but denying use of racial slur
Hamilton said the comments were typical of the abuse he continues to receive despite F1 having launched an anti-discrimination initiative in 2020.

“It’s been two years since many of us took the knee at the first race in Austria and of course we’re still faced with challenges,” he said. “I’ve been on the receiving end of racism and criticism and the negativity in archaic narratives for a long, long time, and undertones of discrimination. So there’s nothing really particularly new for me.”

He said F1 needs to consider “the bigger picture” and question why it gives prominence to past figures of the sport who do not share its current values.

“I’m not really sure, I don’t know why we are continuing to give these older voices a platform,” he said. “Because they are speaking upon our sport and we’re looking to go somewhere completely different. And it’s not representative, I think, of who we are as a sport now and where we’re planning to go.

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“We’re looking to grow in the US and other countries, South Africa, and grow our audience. We need to be looking to the future and giving the younger people a platform that are more representative of today’s times and who we are trying to be and the direction that we’re going. So it’s not just about one individual, it’s not about just that one use of that term, it’s the bigger picture.”

Report: F1 criticises Ecclestone as he defends Piquet’s Hamilton comments and Putin’s war
Hamilton urged those in the sport to take “real action” to promote inclusion and go beyond simply criticising discriminatory language.

“Everyone’s PR people have already a script for something like that. Crisis management. It’s not enough. Now it’s about actual, real action. We’ve got to actually start acting.

“It comes back down to F1, to the media, we should not be giving these people a platform. These old voices, whether they’re subconscious, or consciously do not agree that people like me, for example, should be in a sport like this, they do not agree women should be here. Discrimination is not something we should be projecting and promoting and giving a platform to create and divide people.

“More than ever – we’re living such a difficult time in the world – we need people to be bringing people together. We are all the same and it is not helpful the comments that we’re seeing from these people.

“In the last couple of weeks I don’t think a day’s gone by where there’s not been someone from some of the older [generation] that have not really been in our sport or relevant in our sport for decades, trying to say negative things and trying to bring me down. But I’m still here, I’m still standing strong and I’m focussed on my work and really trying to push for diversity inclusion within our organisation.”

Three-times world champion Jackie Stewart recently gave an interview in which he said he would like to see Hamilton retire from F1. Asked whether he’d lost respect for past drivers such as Piquet and Stewart in light of their recent comments, Hamilton said: “I’ve always tried to take the high road. I’ve always tried to be respectful to these individuals.

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“And again, just going back, I think it ties back to what I was saying before is why do we give these guys a platform? They’re not with the times and they’re clearly not willing to change and these undertones of discrimination and micro-aggressions are just, in today’s world, not helpful and this creates more divide.

“I love how Michelle Obama says ‘when they go low, go high’ so I try to continue to do that. I’m inspired by people like that. As I said, I’m still here, it’s not going to deter me from doing what I think is right and doing what I love, which is working in this sport.”

The seven-times world champion launched The Hamilton Commission in 2020 to examine and address the reasons why black people and other groups are under-represented in motorsport. He has urged F1 teams to sign up to a diversity and inclusion charter, but says some have not yet agreed to support it.

“I’ve been on calls with all the F1 teams who all agreed to be a part of this F1 charter and it’s still not signed, it’s still not underway. But no more can we be amplifying these voices that are just creating that divide out there. We’ve got people high up in governments that just create more and more divide. America’s just gone back 50 years. With everything that’s happened here in the UK, we’ve gone backwards and people are really struggling out there so we’ve all got to pull together.”

Hamilton said he was astonished by Ecclestone’s comments in support of Putin and claimed those who aired his views were promoting division.

“There needs to be some accountability,” he said. “You know what you’re going to get with that.

“I don’t know what their goal is, if they were seeking to create divide. Here in the UK we don’t need any more of it.

“To hear from someone that ultimately believes in the war, the displacement of millions of people and the killing of thousands of people, the person that’s doing that, they support them. I mean, that’s beyond me. And I can’t believe that’s what I heard today.

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“Ultimately, it’s disappointing. It’s affecting not only all those people out there, but it’s affecting all countries around the world and it’s affecting people here in the UK and it’s going to continue to affect us. This is going to put us back decades, I think. We have yet to see the real brunt of the pain that it’s going to cause the world.

Report: F2 reacts with dismay as Hitech keep Vips in team after using racist language
“Why? We don’t need to be supporting that anymore. We’ve got to deal with the future, we need more positivity in the world.”

Piquet’s comments emerged shortly after Formula 1 was rocked by another racism row. Red Bull sacked its Junior Team member Juri Vips, who shared a track with Hamilton during practice for the Spanish Grand Prix last month, after he used a racial slur in a live video game stream.

Hamilton said the episode shows “we are living still within the world, with still discrimination throughout the world. So it’s still clearly all around us.

“You see it on social [media], you see it in micro-aggressions that continue to come out. And enough is enough.

“As I said, I try to take the high road and avoid it but no one should have to brush off racism. It shouldn’t be for me to have to brush it off. So we need organisations, big organisations to take a stand.”

Vips’ Formula 2 team Hitech has not taken any action against its driver and said he will be allowed to complete the season with them. F2 described the decision as “surprising and not one we would have taken”.

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Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...
Claire Cottingham
Claire has worked in motorsport for much of her career, covering a broad mix of championships including Formula One, Formula E, the BTCC, British...

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100 comments on “Hamilton: Stop sharing views of ‘old voices’ like Ecclestone, Piquet and Stewart”

  1. Well spoken Superstar!
    We need more voices and leaders like you

    1. Yes, let’s discriminate old people now. Why not. Makes total sense.

      1. Listen that’s not what he meant he didn’t say all old people he was just referring to Stewart, Piquet & Ecclestone but sadly some of you guys want to just take Hamilton’s word out of context so deliberately no matter how he says it carefully there’s a video of him saying it in the Press Conference more clearer on what he meant.

        1. Ahhh, trying to explain away discrimination based on age … but if Piquet try’s to explain how something is lost in translation, suddenly he’s wrong again.

          Face facts Jon … Lewis is being a hypocrite again.
          Him using F1 as a platform to discriminate based on age is no different to what he’s getting his panties in a bunch about.

          1. He is asking to exclude them from F1 circles, not silence them from the world. If you continue to attack someone, and you ask authorities to do something about it is not discrimination. It is asking for help to be backed up and not let these goons to continue their abusive language and never ending entitled views of how people should behave or continue their life. Personal opinion is one thing, but ham has rights to do whatever he prefers with his life. telling him to change? are these goons even real? i dont fancy ham’s life style, i m not a pro lgbt stuff, but as long as they dont interfere with my personal freedom, everyone has right to live however they want. you can say “you dont like this or that and not my choice, but it is not my business to tell them to change as long as they are not stopping someone’s freedom” is one thing, but continuously talk about someone’s life style and tell them what to do how to do etc is beyond annoyance, it is invasion of personal space/privacy! These goons many times dont know how to draw lines in their languages! Thats what he is talking about. Enough is enough.

      2. If that’s what you gather from reading this article I recommend English reading comprehension training.

      3. If you follow this site’s comments you’ll know I’m no fan of Hamilton in general.
        However, he’s 100% right here.
        These old guys need to be ignored. Just because they were once great at driving, or leading a team, or whatever doesn’t make them infallible. Their opinion doesn’t have to be heard because of their legacy.

        To be quite blunt, yes, discriminate against the old people who refuse to embrace the changing world. If they want to sit back and be bitter that things aren’t the way they remember or want it to be, let them do it in obscurity while the rest of us move on.

        1. Well I’m a big Hamilton fan and he’s 100% wrong on this.

          He’s another of the modern set, who want to muzzle people who’s views could be classed as embarrassing. Actually, we need to hear all views – so then we can get a discussion going, which then shows how ridiculous these people are and in turn people then decide to not listen to these people.

      4. Let’s flip the question – why should Piquet be listened to in the first place? What value is there in his opinion that he should be given a platform to speak?

        1. Uh, big stars (no matter their age), are always given platforms. This wasn’t F1 giving him a platform in which he said something racist. Also, while I find it boring and non-informative most of the time, a lot of people like to hear the opinions of its biggest past stars and figures. Personally, I have always thought Piquet was a complete jerk, but to silence anyone for using an inappropriate word is a step toward fascism.

      5. Exactly. Agism is a lot more prevalent than racism. In America at least. Lewis is not the brightest bulb on the shelf to literally say something bigoted in the same sentence he decries bigotry.

        If he were intelligent he would have phrased it more like “Stop amplifying the voices of those who have time and again shown they do not support the current values of xyz.”

    2. Now go out of f1 and stop disrespecting everyone. Bernie said nothing wrong, Piquet used a word that is also used live on brazillian tv, used in friendly circles, still the word is objectifying Hamilton, can’t say a guy is short when he is short, it is offensive, except you can because it does not involve ethnicity. Piquet is a bolsonaro supporter so bad Piquet and Jackie said nothing offensive at all and praised Hamilton.
      Hamilton stop spreading hate.

      1. @peartree – I think Lewis was aiming on Bernie stupid remarks over the dictator Putin… that should says everything….

        1. @macleod your comment shows how naive you are.

          1. @peartree – Me Naive that is something i am atleast not for 50 years. I am with you on this it’s was my attempt for a sarcastic comment but I failed (not for the first time ofcourse)

    3. Coventry Climax
      30th June 2022, 22:53

      Only it’s not a good idea to shut down voices – any voice – that you don’t agree with. It’s better to prove those voices wrong with reasoning. If you shut them down, those voices go underground, seek out similar voices and then do more harm than when individually allowed to speak out and proven wrong.
      I understand the sentiment, but it’s the wrong approach.

      1. If they are toxic and never say anything of value, why listen to them.

        Though here I’ll mostly just ignore those posters and stop interacting, it makes discussions a slog, a drag on the site and F1.

    4. It’s a tough one. On the one hand, he’s right– Ecclestone wouldn’t say these things if people didn’t keep shoving a microphone in his face.

      On the other hand, it’s censorship.

      What’s the old line? “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”…?

      Vips, Ecclestone, Piquet (and even Stewart, who somehow got dragged into this– his comments weren’t racist, they were just… out of touch) have the right to say what they said– and there should be consequences. Personally, I don’t feel the punishment and backlash that Vips and Piquet have faced is appropriate to the crime– I’m old enough to remember blacks and whites using racial terms that today would result in their metaphorical obliteration, and I’m only 15 years older than Hamilton.

      Vips screwed up, Piquet used a term that, depending on culture, can mean a number of things. I thought Ecclestone’s comments about Piquet were reasonable, and incisive– I thought his comments about Putin were beyond the pale (“pale” in this case, having nothing to do with skin color).

      Censorship is not, however, the answer.

  2. I’m going to slightly disagree with Lewis here. I’m all for sexists, racists, bigots, xenophobes, war mongers, etc. being able to freely express their opinions. It makes it much easier for me to identify them like the scum they really are.

    But I think the media needs to do a much better job of calling out these people in real-time during the interviews and not letting them just say reprehensible things without being immediately challenged. The media also need to provide the facts clearly and unambiguously when someone presents “alternate facts” as the truth. I see media far too often just asking an interviewee their pre-determined questions without any follow-up when someone says something that needs challenging. Or just reporting what has been said without providing what the real facts are. This presenting of verifiably false information or presenting of toxic idealogy without challenge is what I think really promotes discrimination, etc.

    1. Raymond Pang
      30th June 2022, 18:28

      I agree. The platforms that allow these outmoded voices to be heard are the same platforms that allow them to be challenged. That will either lead people to understand better why things may not be acceptable, or at least open a debate. Or just prove that some people are too stupid to engage in a debate.

      I don’t think Jackie Stewart should be called out on this one. Absolutely nothing offensive about what he said. I don’t see any racial motivation – he just doesn’t seem to like Hamilton’s lifestyle. It’s his opinion, and I think he’s entitled to it and has earned the right to comment on Formula 1 matters.

    2. But why should the voices of fools be amplified just because they are popular fools? The only reason these things are written is because the publishers know they will generate controversy and controversy drives traffic which allows them to collect more ad impressions and to collect more private data to sell. That’s not a good reason to give a voice to these people. This is why almost of the ‘news’ is negative. I don’t think behavior should be illegal or regulated but it surely should not be condoned. It’s tabloid-style journalism.

      1. @ryanoceros My point was that journalists should just amplify their voices, but should challenge them with follow up questions or refute their claims in real-time. They can have their voice but it is just as important to emphatically show what they are saying is wrong. But we shouldn’t allow these people to hide their true opinions and not face the consequences of their beliefs. Get them out in the open and call them out for who they are. To me that isn’t amplifying their voice, that is pointing a spotlight at repugnant behavior that needs to be addressed.

        1. The mainstream media are doing what they always do, sowing division. They will never challenge that which feeds their agenda.
          It’s time that people stop trusting these vile media organisations.

      2. Sounds more like you’re talking about Lewis than anyone else.
        No one else has used F1 as a platform to create more race based division based than him … all while benefiting from it personally and doing nothing to impact diversity in a positive way with his time or tons of F1 made money for the majority of his career.

        1. Do you forget Ecclestone? He made more money based division than anyone else, and didnt care about any discrimination or political agendas around the world. He only cared about his pockets and his pockets alone! He had tons of F1 made money for the majority of his career and he never cared or tried to talk about these issues and acted like a proper dictator!

          On the topic, some people are just plain racists/bigots and never change by age. Steward has always been bitter about ham, hard to pin point it but somewhere along the lines of statistics and keep saying statistic dont matter we had harder cars etc to justify or glorify his era and downplay current drivers. Ecclestone is like a mosquite, has to buzz to be heard all the time. His only agenda is be heard regardless of its contrasts contents and fill his pockets…

  3. Is this what they call ageism?

    1. No this is not.

      Agism is being discriminated against due to age alone.

      This is being de-platformed because your views are sexist, racist, xenophobic, etc….and you happen to be old.
      It just so happens that a lot of the mega-rich old guys have those sort of views. Lewis is proposing we just not print those opinions when they express them.

    2. 100%.

      We really need to ban Lewis. Whether he meant it like that or not, we cannot allow people to use slurs like this go unpunished. There can be zero tolerance for views like that in this day and age…

      Well, if I was LH and a vast variety of other words were substituted for “old” that would be my opinion.

  4. Barry Bens (@barryfromdownunder)
    30th June 2022, 17:54

    Especially if the quote is ancient as well.
    Where was RaceFans’ outcry (among others) last year when Piquet actually said it? Exactly, nowhere. Always sitting on their high-horse claiming other outlets scrape old stuff and blow it up, but this is exactly that.

    What’s next? Digging up something Ecclestone said 5 years ago?

    1. @barryfromdownunder, you asked where was Racefans when Piquet actually said it? Well the simple answer is that no-one knew about it until Monday. It may have been in the public domain earlier, I don’t know, but it was published and some of the comments from it were tweeted for the first time last weekend, at which point the world became aware of it.

    2. @barryfromdownunder

      Where was RaceFans’ outcry (among others) last year when Piquet actually said it?

      He didn’t say it to us – you should ask the people he spoke to.

  5. So, basically, anyone who says anything that Hamilton doesn’t like (like suggesting he retire, or expressing that they don’t like him) will automatically be labelled as ‘racist’ and will be persecuted by F1 because they have no guts. Great. So, when do we start banging on Hamilton for making blatantly ageist statements, implying that what ‘old’ people think is rubbish? What a hypocrite. Oh wait…. was that racist?

  6. Wait. Isn’t Lewis a bit ageist? Discriminatory based on voices age?

    Besides Piquet using racial slurs casually, Bernie being Bernie, and Stewart having something against Hamilton..

    Why should old voices be silent?

    I love it when some of the other old voices speak.

    Perhaps there is time to silence Martin Brundle? Or is he not old enough?

    You have to be against all discrimination, not just thr kind you happen to hate.

    1. @jureo It is okay to discriminate against prejudiced people, no matter their age or race or gender. In fact, it is a moral obligation.

  7. Yes, let’s censor out all those who dare to speak against Saint Lewis. Good thinking.

    1. ‘The strongest weapon against hateful speech is not repression, but more speech’
      https://youtu.be/BiqDZlAZygU

  8. Didn’t Moss said a few years ago that he would never allow a gay man to portray him?

    Fact is unfortunately F1’s old folks only open their mouths to spit prejudice and outdated thoughts these days.

    World has changed, they should be respected as individuals, as men of their time. They are not to blame, but the new generations aren’t either.

    1. People can say these are just words, so what, but they are unfortunately an indication of current attitudes. So I think these terms should not be used, and if they are, so action needs taking. But what?

      It’s easy to ban people, but it really creates resentment, and actually does little to change attitudes – they just go underground. What really needs doing is to call these people out and show how wrong they are – then they might learn and change. Unfortunately, in modern society cancelling is much easier and cheaper.

      It may be not quite what he meant, but not giving people a platform on the basis of age is equally wrong, that is just discrimination of a different type. Stewart also just gave an opinion, nothing discriminatory about it, I didn’t agree, but he has the right to say it.

      When it comes to Vips, he’s 21, barely more than a kid. He can learn unless completely incorrigible. People, especially the young, make mistakes. I’m glad to see his team didn’t sack him as a kneejerk reaction, but I do wonder if RBs action is more to do with their PR than anything else.

      I’d hope that something good can come of all this, and not just more division. As an example of how to deal with deep divisions just look at South Africa’s apartheid truth and reconciliation commission, it tried to be inclusive, not divisive.

  9. So… Sir Jackie Stewart is now also lumped in together with racists because he had the gall to suggest it might be time for Hammy to retire?

    1. Stewart criticizes Hamilton for no apparent reason since day his 1 on F1. Do your research.

      1. Raymond Pang
        30th June 2022, 19:11

        But it’s his prerogative to have an opinion, and because he’s famous he gets air time. He’s a 3 time champion and also done a lot to ensure the safety that’s taken for granted in motorsport today. I don’t have a problem with Jackie Stewart having an opinion, and shouldn’t be brought into the same conversation as Piquet and Ecclestone.

        I think he’s totally wrong though. Hamilton has years left in him.

        1. So what you are saying is that Lewis is ABUSING THE PLATFORM HE HAS to go after Stewart, using AGE as a justification …

          Can you not spot the hypocrisy in what you and Lewis are saying?
          Or is it too uncomfortable for either of you to admit that is discrimination by Lewis’ own metric, and he should be prevented from using the platform for ANY sort of discrimination.

      2. Yeah lets all be mini versions of Kim Jong un, “I dont likey what he says, shut him up”.

      3. No media paints that picture. Hamilton does things worth criticizing but because you can’t say a thing about Hamilton you must take Stewart to an old folks home.

        1. Being facetious again, I see.

          1. @peartree So your are being facetious when you say that you are never ironic? Where does it end?

          2. No, I don’t think “Truth” really enters into it.

    2. I think Sir Lewis had characterized this as a micro-aggression? Not entirely clear but it seems what he’s getting at is that these old F1 personalities are being rude old men and are less relevant with every passing day, but it’s hard to say that whilst “taking the high road”.

  10. The level of dishonesty here with some folks pointing out a pretense ageism on Hamilton comments when in fact he is the real victim in all this episode are beyond me.

    In fact I know what it is all about…

    1. Don’t we all but they’ll play the victim when you call them out.

    2. Alexander McFarlane
      30th June 2022, 19:36

      Yes, the multi-millionaire, world famous, highly successful, influential and allowed to speak his mind victim.

      The absurdity is beyond belief. He acts like he doesn’t have a voice when his is one of the loudest in the room.

      1. It’s not about him, it’s about black people. He’s the first ever black person in a position of evidence in F1 and has faced racism numerous times because of it already, but if you ask one of these older white guys they’ll be saying there’s nothing there.

        My God, is it that difficult?

        1. Alexander McFarlane
          30th June 2022, 21:37

          Actually it is, because like Lewis, I am mixed-race. Unlike Lewis, I don’t feel the need to appoint myself a spokesman for Asians or make a big show of not being entirely white in an indigenously white nation, even though I’m more at home here in England than I ever would be in some random place in China.

          I make the effort to blend in, he makes the effort to stand out. If he’s drawing criticism in 2022, it isn’t because he’s black but because he has an attitude problem.

          1. he has an attitude problem.

            Hamilton´s attitude problem: total domination of a sport that WAS a white environment until he arrives.

          2. That’s because you have no voice, as any regular people don’t.
            People don’t drag around these subjects with them making everything about it for no reason.

            They react to it.

            It came to his attention that Piquet said that and he reacted to it, as he did when those people were mocking him using monkey clothes in Barcelona in 2008.

            He has a voice and is using it. What would someone on his position achieve by omission?
            He has already shown the world he isn’t only about beautiful speeches, he’s one of the greatest and still gets disrespected because of the color of his skin and you’re telling me he should “blend in”?

            C’mon man.

          3. Actually it is, because like Lewis, I am mixed-race. […] I make the effort to blend in, he makes the effort to stand out.

            One more thing: if you’re really mixed race, you should read Frantz Fanon, mate. After Fanon, I bet you will be in Hamilton camp.

      2. Swing and a miss.

    3. @becken-lima real victim? The best paid driver ever, the biggest champion, one of the most popular drivers ever. Bernie said he would have like to have seen Ham brush it off or reply rather than use the black card. How dare you Bernie. Stewart said that Ham should retire as he is being beaten by his team mate. How dare you Jackie, so much hate. And finally Nelson used a word used during live on tv during Carnaval coverage, a word used in songs from Elis Regina a word used in RJ, used amongst friends that does objectify skin colour however because Piquet was criticizing Hamilton he must be a very bad man.
      Saying people that disagree with you are monsters and should be excomungated from the world is fine, peachy.

      1. trying to defend racism and blaming the victim. nothing else to expect from paperchamps hardliner fanbase

        1. @romtrain what victim? There was no racism. He used an word that is innapropriate in portuguese even though the slang is usually used to endear, not this case. The problem is the word is high innapropriate in english.

  11. So, when is LH going to publish a list so we will all know whom to listen to.

  12. One day this clown will be older and forgotten and good riddance.

    Its ageism plain and simple, right up their with any other ‘ism’

    1. Agreed. Hamilton is one of the worst things that’s happend to F1. He’s a joke as a man. Spoiled richman and not much beyond that.

      1. I think they can it an Uncle Tom

  13. Statement without thought put into it, media will always pick up controversial voices. Positive news doesn’t sell. And lets not talk about censoring voices, lets not alienate people. Lewis can learn somethings from Max.

  14. Of course there are people here that think “getting rid of old views” means the same thing as “old people aren’t allowed to express their opinion”…

    Anything to bash Hamilton I guess.

    1. More like Hamilton throws out the race card against people simply for not cheerleading him and then makes himself look like a hypocrite when he does it. He has implied many people, like Stewart, must be racist if they aren’t fully on board with him.

      My girlfriend of 14 years is black and she thinks Lewis is a whine who loves to use the victim card. So, it is not just old white people who have a problem with Lewis constantly using speaking up for others as an excuse for really just defending himself. To be clear, there are times he is speaking out for good causes. Too often though it is just about him.

  15. Wow, Lewis, it is so millennial of you.
    “I’m not really sure, I don’t know why we are continuing to give these older voices a platform,” he said.
    Using discrimination as a tool to fight discrimination. Where are you going to get with this approach?

    1. What about: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”?

      By Voltaire or Beatrice Evelyn Hall meant to sum up Voltaire’s attitude towards freedom of expression, not quote him directly.

      1. What about: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”?

        As it turns out – a lot of people disapprove of what you say, and will defend their own right to tell you not to say it. Your rights are unimportant to them, though.

  16. Well, his response shows he’s not actually read or listened to the podcast, like the majority of people it seems, what Stewart said from his point of view and why. He didn’t just say Hamiltons lost it like most of the clowns on Twitter. He gave clear and obvious reasons based on over 60 years of experience in the sport and almost 50 years in retirement.

    Showed all his “hate” to namecheck Hamilton with Fangio, Clark, Nuvolari before saying and I quote
    “He’s the carrier the sport very well”

    There is nobody alive in a better place to advise a 30+-year-old driver on the rest of his life and 2nd career which is exactly what he does while reminding us of the many cases of drivers that’s stayed past their best. Think Schumacher 2010.

    Would be nice to see Hamilton use his own words of showing respect and listening to what legends of the sports who has done far more for F1 and its drivers than Hamilton ever will.

    1. Just as Stewart was bothering Senna about him being dangerous with baseless allegations 30 years ago?

      Stewart should be respected as a man and a champion, but these guys don’t idolize him like some aficionados do, so there’s nothing wrong about disaproving his attitudes. People talk as if the man is the Pope lol.

      Fittipaldi for example, owes money to half of Brazil due to a variety of failed business decisions. So people shouldn’t criticize him because he did some stuff in a racing car 50 years ago?

  17. “Half-white” “even dares”

    Classy….I’m surprised you didn’t call him “boy” in there somewhere.

  18. Lewis Hamilton seems to have forgotten how he got where he is, and it wasn’t because a bunch of teams had signed a Diversity and Inclusion Charter and altered their recruiting strategies accordingly. He got where he got on faith in those who believed in him, faith in himself, guts, and merit. And it was his own merit, not somebody else’s. It was not somebody’s Affirmative Action scheme. And it was not somebody’s political agenda. Sir Hamilton, like President Obama in the United States, is living proof that what counts beyond all else in reaching the top, is having what it takes to win and keep winning, from the beginning of your career to the end. And that No. 44 has demonstrated beyond dispute. Should he quit now? We all have an opinion but there’s only one that matters, his. Same for Vettel. Personally, I admire both as drivers, tremendously – and I mean that in capital letters – but neither as politicians.

  19. Yes, ignore everyone who does not toe your line and if possible de-voice them entirely.
    Free speech applies only to those who agree with you, because those who do not are automatically the baddies.

  20. Great idea
    Let’s oppress those we disagree with and don’t like. Fantastic approach. Not scary at all

  21. MingTheMercyless
    30th June 2022, 22:44

    Lewis has been reading George Orwell, apparently.
    Let’s burn some books while we’re at it.

  22. With all due respect, Mr. Hamilton, through your statements above, you are being racist, dismissive and segregational of the “older” generation. Not what you pretend to preach, apparently.

  23. Just get over it everyone!

    1. Rob (@sundiesel)
      1st July 2022, 6:03

      Especially you Lewis.

  24. Lewis is correct. Ecclestone just said he would take a bullet for Putin. The old crusty right wing white men are trying to ruin the world by not letting society progress. You end up with racist alt right clowns like BoJo, ScoMo, Trump and the Brazillian nutcase in power.

    1. Agreed. It is a sad state of affairs when young people side with the corrupt old guard. They have been tricked into betraying their own future.

  25. Hilarious.
    In a really scary, depressingly sad way….

  26. I understand where he’s coming from in regards to Piquet and Ecclestone but what has Stewart said recently? That he doesn’t believe Hamilton will win a championship again? lol maybe Hamilton should move to Saudi Arabia if he wants to suppress free opinion or people who don’t think he’ll win an 8th title.

    1. Hamilton is the only British F1 champion Stewart somehow never managed to say positive things about without always adding a qualifier that brings it down a bit or a lot. It might be dislike. For the guy that made Stewart the 2nd most successful living F1 driver. Or is it his ‘lifestyle’, often a dogwhistle for the color of his skin? Remember, Hamilton met and talked with him. I’d guess that the micro aggression remark comes in there.

      1. Stewart has said plenty of things in support of Hamilton and his achievements.

  27. Rob (@sundiesel)
    1st July 2022, 6:02

    So why should we ignore older, wiser folk and listen to you Lewis? Not bloody likely.

    1. Because in their cases older does not mean wiser @sundiesel. If so, both Piquet and Ecclestone (and Steward for that matter) would just shut up about talking why Hamilton is supposedly not good for F1

      1. That’s quite an opinion you’ve shared there, @bascb.

        Older or wiser (or not) is irrelevant – you just don’t agree with them.
        Their opinions are equally valid as yours and Hamilton’s.

        Maybe you should shut up too? Maybe everyone should?

  28. Hamilton is F1’s current star…..

  29. Discrimination by race is wrong.
    Discrimination by age is wrong.
    Discrimination by gender/transgender is wrong.
    Discrimination by sexual orientation is wrong.
    Discrimination by class is wong.

    Discrimination by anything is wrong except in F1 by lap times and overtakes.

    Now please everyone just stop pontificating and shouting at each other!

  30. Why anyone listens to a racing driver talk about anything other than racing or car setup is beyond me?

    They are hardly living in the “real world” with the rest of us.

    Meh.

  31. Why mention Stewart in the same context as Piquet or Ecclestone? He didn’t say anything wrong, racist or anything, just his opinion about when it is good to retire as a multiple champion. He has a much greater legacy than his championship titles, he deserves more respect…

  32. Any chance Putin has dirty dirt on Ecclestone? lol I wonder if it is another golden video or worse. I must admit I laughed once I read in this article that he supports Putin. Has Ecclestone been a naughty boy I wonder? How much worse can it get for Ecclestone? It appears someone else has made his bed for him after he messed it all up. Has Lewis ever said the words “white guy”? Ever? This is all getting too pathetic. Not the greatest driver ever and that’s definitely a fact now. Russel should give him some tips. Shame he did not pay any heed to other greats like Jordan. Not what I wanted to see happen to Lewis but some people learn the hard way so others don’t make the same mistakes. Being humble is key and Lewis you failed so others could learn from it. All good in the end. Lewis is a great driver, no doubt one of the best in my opinion, but please Lewis eat some humble pie. Eight years of a completely one sided competition due to one engine format has not done Mercedes or Lewis any favours. It’s all just back fired on them. Live and learn. Where are Mercedes now? Next to no where. Talk about a hard fall from competition bias.

  33. Sergey Martyn
    1st July 2022, 12:48

    Oh, Lewis has become an ambassador of cancel culture.
    I wonder what will be the next thing Hamilton Commission will examine and address?
    The reasons why there are no concentration camps built yet for old people and those who critique him?

  34. Sounds like the reasoning of someone that uses too much social media lol

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