Hamilton: Winning the 2020 title would be more valuable given the current climate

Lewis Hamilton begins the defense of his title this week at the Austrian Grand Prix (July 3-5). For the moment, the 2020 campaign only has 8 official dates, although others will be confirmed shortly. 

However, the initial number of 22 races will not be reached. Does this mean that the champion of the year will have had less merit than his predecessors? The pilot Mercedes believes on the contrary that the historic events of recent months – the Covid-19 crisis and the global fight against racism – will reserve a special place in history for the 2020 season. 

« Winning the title would be more valuable than ever because we are going through a memorable time given the pandemic we are fighting., declared the six-time world champion this Thursday at Red Bull ring. 

On a more personal level, I am involved in the Black Lives Matter movement and in the battle against injustice and inequality. It’s a cause that aims to defend something very important. Things may not change for our generation but for our children. We are living in a momentous moment. So winning the title in these conditions would have a special flavor ». 

Hamilton took the opportunity to welcome the recent initiatives launched by the Formula 1 and Mercedes in particular in order to promote diversity at all levels of sport. 

« I think F1 action is great; I talk a lot with them on the phone or by video conference, added the Mercedes driver. We must move forward together. I talk a lot with Mercedes as well. It’s great to see them so involved. They really embraced the process of wanting to change mentalities sustainably. 

Many people just post a message of support on social media, without doing more behind it. There are so many cool jobs in our industry, so many career opportunities, but too few are accessible to minorities. We are only at a starting point and much more needs to be done. I won't stop until I notice a profound change ».

Hamilton also clarified that he did not yet know whether he would kneel on the grid on Sunday in a sign of support for the Black Lives Matter movement. The Briton, however, confirmed that he had started discussing it with the other drivers. 

« Whatever our action, if any, the important thing is to display a united front and maintain it », concluded the Mercedes driver.