Hamilton 'overcome with rage' after dark week

Lewis Hamilton has opened up once again about events of late in the US, insisting he has been "overcome with rage" with the injustice suffered by black communities all over the world.

Hamilton took to social media last weekend to denounce the silence of the F1 paddock over the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American who was killed last week by white police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis.

Several drivers responded to Hamilton's outcry, while the Mercedes team issued a statement on social media in which it expressed its support for the Briton.

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Earlier today, Hamilton described his depressed and angry feelings in the aftermath of "a dark week".

"This past week has been so dark, I have failed to keep hold of my emotions," he wrote. "I have felt so much anger, sadness and disbelief in what my eyes have seen.

"I am completely overcome with rage at the sight of such blatant disregard for the lives of our people. The injustice that we are seeing our brothers and sisters face all over the world time and time again is disgusting and MUST stop.

"So many people seem surprised, but to us unfortunately, it is not surprising. Those of us who are black, brown or in-between see it every day and should not have to feel as though we were born guilty, don’t belong or fear for our lives based on the colour of our skin.

"Will Smith said it best, racism is not getting worse, it’s being filmed. Only now that the world is so well-equipped with cameras has this issue been able to come to light in such a big way.”

Hamilton noted that Chauvin's arrest only came after an overwhelming public uproar, a delayed decision from the authorities that he deplored.

"It is only when there are riots and screams for justice that the powers that be cave in and do something, but by then it is far too late and not enough has been done," he added.

"It took hundreds of thousands of people’s complaints and buildings to burn before officials reacted and decided to arrest Derek Chauvin for murder, and that is sad.

"Unfortunately, America is not the only place where racism lives and we continue to fail as humans when we cannot stand up for what is right. Please do not sit in silence, no matter the colour of your skin. Black Lives Matter."

At the start of the week, Formula 1 itself had not reacted to the events in America but Tuesday evening, the organisation posted a message on Twitter in which it said that it stood "with all those fighting against racism in any form."

“We stand with you, and all people in the fight against racism," stated F1.

"It is an evil that no sport or society is truly immune from.

"And it is only together we can oppose it and eradicate it.

"Together we are stronger."

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