This archive report was first published on 27 June 2020.
On June 26, 2020, Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton responded to comments made by former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, who claimed that 'black people are sometimes more racist than white.'
Ecclestone, who was F1 supremo for four decades, made the comments during an interview with CNN, where he also expressed doubts about the effectiveness of Hamilton's anti-racism initiatives.
Hamilton, the only black driver on the grid, hit back at Ecclestone, calling his comments 'ignorant and uneducated.'
'Bernie is out of the sport and of a different generation but this is exactly what is wrong – ignorant and uneducated comments which show how far we as a society need to go before real equality can happen,' Hamilton wrote on Instagram.
Hamilton also questioned how Ecclestone's lack of understanding of the deep-rooted issues faced by black people could be expected to change under his leadership.
F1 distanced itself from Ecclestone's remarks, stating that they had no place in the sport or society.
It's worth noting that Ecclestone has not been involved in F1 since 2017, and his title Chairman Emeritus expired in January 2020.
