Motor racing’s governing body, the FIA, is looking into whether Lewis Hamilton broke rules at the Tuscan Grand Prix by wearing a T-shirt protesting the death of Breonna Taylor.
On Monday, an FIA spokesperson told the BBC it is a non-political organisation and the matter is “under active consideration.”
Taylor, a Black woman, was fatally shot March 13 when police officers burst into her Louisville, Kentucky, apartment using a no-knock warrant during a narcotics investigation. She was 26.
Ahead of Sunday’s F1 race at Mugello, Hamilton wore a shirt that read: “arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor” on the front and “say her name” alongside her picture on the back. He wore the shirt to the podium after winning the race.
To conclude his post-race TV interview after stepping out of his car, he said: “Justice for Breonna Taylor.”
On its social media channels, Mercedes responded to criticism that Hamilton had been bringing politics into the sport. One reply from the world champions said: “We’re not bringing politics into F1, these are human rights issues that we are trying to highlight and raise awareness of. There’s a big difference.”
Until Mugello, Hamilton had worn a shirt saying “Black Lives Matter” at F1’s “end racism” demonstration, held before every race. F1 allows its drivers to show their commitment to the anti-racism message in any way they see fit in that segment of time ahead of the event.
Hamilton explained why he wore the shirt after the race.
“I’ve been wanting to bring awareness to the fact there are people being killed on the street.” Hamilton said. “And someone was killed in her own house and they were in the wrong house and those guys are still walking free.”