This archive report was first published on 19 July 2021.
On July 19, 2021, Formula One, the FIA, and Mercedes issued a joint statement condemning racist abuse targeting Lewis Hamilton on social media after his British Grand Prix win.
Hamilton, a seven-time world champion, was involved in an incident with Max Verstappen during the race, which resulted in a 10-second penalty but ultimately led to his win.
Following the incident, Hamilton was subjected to multiple instances of racist abuse on social media, prompting the joint statement from Formula One, the FIA, and Mercedes.
“During, and after, yesterday’s British Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton was subjected to multiple instances of racist abuse on social media following an in-race collision,” they said in a joint statement.
These incidents of online abuse are unacceptable and must be highlighted and eliminated, according to the statement.
Hamilton, a public supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, had previously expressed his support for England footballers Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford, and Jadon Sancho, who faced similar abuse after missing penalties in the Euro 2020 final.
