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Ricciardo, Leclerc speak out on social media against racism

Published on 01 Jun 2020 09:28
4
By: Fergal Walsh

More Formula 1 drivers have spoken out against racism following Lewis Hamilton's public message on Sunday night, when he urged fellow F1 stars not to be silent “in the midst of injustice”.

Protests have ignited in the United States over the last week following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died while being arrested by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

On Sunday night, Hamilton wrote on Instagram: “I see those of you who are staying silent, some of you the biggest of stars yet you stay silent in the midst of injustice.”

Since the six-time world champion's message, more F1 drivers spoken, including Daniel Ricciardo, who says racism must be tackled with “unity and action” rather than violence.

“Seeing the news the last few days has left me saddened, what happened to George Floyd and what continues to happen in today’s society is a disgrace,” the Australian wrote on Instagram.

“Now more than ever we need to stand together, unified together. Racism is toxic and needs to be addressed not with violence or silence but with unity and action. We need to stand up, we need to be a WE. Let’s be better people. It’s 2020 ffs. Black lives matter.”

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc admitted that he was apprehensive over posting about such issues on his social media, but affirmed he was wrong to hold back.

“To be completely honest, I felt out of place and uncomfortable sharing my thoughts on social media about the whole situation and this is why I haven't expressed myself earlier than today,” he said.

“And I was completely wrong. I still struggle to find the words to describe the atrocity of some videos I've seen on the Internet. Racism needs to be met with actions, not silence.

“Please be actively participating, engaging and encouraging others to spread awareness. It is our responsibilities to speak out against injustice. Don't be silent.”

I have fans and followers. Support and love. And I have power through this to lead and inspire so many. But we also stand for what’s right. This time I ask you to do something and take action. Click the link and make a difference... #blacklivesmatter https://t.co/IrVrgU2JBA pic.twitter.com/ee2A0goz84
— Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) June 1, 2020

View this post on Instagram

Seeing the news the last few days has left me saddened, what happened to George Floyd and what continues to happen in today’s society is a disgrace. Now more than ever we need to stand together, unified together. Racism is toxic and needs to be addressed not with violence or silence but with unity and action. We need to stand up, we need to be a WE. Let’s be better people. It’s 2020 ffs. Black lives matter.

A post shared by Daniel Ricciardo (@danielricciardo) on May 31, 2020 at 7:11pm PDT

F1 News Daniel Ricciardo Lewis Hamilton Charles Leclerc Mercedes Renault Ferrari

Replies (4)

Pistonhead

Posts: 556
Pleasing to see some of these stars making a statement. F1 can be a force for good, though it won't be easy as commercial needs have always tended to trump what's right in `f1 - not just F1 of course.
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- Jun 1 2020 - 12:42
calle.itw

Posts: 8,527
I mean, it's 2020. I thought we'd all figured that discrimination in general sucks, regardless of what ethnicity, sexuality or culture it's aimed against, and that everyone deserve equal opportunities.
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- Jun 1 2020 - 22:15
- ajpennypacker
  
  Posts: 2,475
  Yes but you're not considering the massive benefits of moral posturing... which is mainly not getting pilloried for not engaging in moral posturing. Don't get me wrong, this is a worthy cause, and I get they HAVE to post something after what Lewis said. But I find it a little bit too conveniente. At the risk of repeating myself I'll just say that there are other worthy causes where the world isn't paying attention and F1 driver could really help shining a light on those.
  + 0
  
  Jun 2 2020 - 02:09
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  That's what I'm saying. It shouldn't be met with "yay, well done" when a corporation tries to look good by saying BLM or something else (ALM, btw), it should be common bloody sense. And it isn't any better here in Sweden either. Our current gov was praised for being Sweden's "first feminist government", while doing f*** all for equal rights.
  
  At the end of the day, none of this matters, because Hammy's posturing and the riots in the US won't change anything.
  + 0
  
  Jun 2 2020 - 12:28