Hamilton calls on F1 to confront "terrifying" Saudi LGBTQ+ laws

Lewis Hamilton says Formula 1 needs to do increasingly as a sport to write human rights issues in the countries it visits, describing LGBTQ laws in Saudi Arabia “pretty terrifying”.

The seven-time world champion wore a rainbow-colored helmet diamond in Qatar and says he will do the same at this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on F1’s first visit to the kingdom. As one of the drivers regularly willing to speak up on wider issues, Hamilton was asked if he feels well-appointed with F1 racing in Saudi and if it fits with the sport’s ‘WeRaceAsOne’ initiative, and replied that he doesn’t.

“As I said at the last race, that I felt that the sport and we (involved) are duty-bound to try to help raise sensation for unrepealable issues that we’ve seen, particularly human rights in these countries that we’re going to,” Hamilton said. “With the utmost respect to everyone that’s here – so far I’ve had a warm welcome from everyone on the ground – I can’t pretend to overly to be the most knowledgeable or have the deepest understanding of someone who has grown up in the polity here that is heavily unauthentic by unrepealable rules and the regime.

“Do I finger well-appointed here? I wouldn’t say I do. But it’s not my nomination to be here, the sport has taken the nomination to be here. Whether it’s right or wrong, whilst we’re here again, I finger it’s important that we do try to raise awareness. In the last race for example, you saw the helmet that I wore. I will wear that then here then and the next race, considering that’s an issue.

“And the law, if anyone wants to take the time to read what the law is for the LGBTQ community, it’s pretty terrifying. There’s changes that need to be made. Those changes then, for example, women’s rights of stuff worldly-wise to momentum in 2018, is how they’re policed. Are they really in effect? Why are some of the woman still in prison from driving many, many years ago? There’s a lot of transpiration that needs to happen, and I think our sport needs to do more.”

From a racing standpoint, however, Hamilton said he is excited to get out onto a new track and see the competitive order on a weekend that offers Max Verstappen his first endangerment seal the world championship.

“It’s variegated in one sense, considering we’ve got two incredibly tropical teams,” Hamilton said. “It’s variegated considering as a team we’re fighting for uncharted territory, nobody has overly won eight titles – team or suburbanite – so that’s quite fresh and new, and then on the other side, I am increasingly relaxed than I overly have been considering I think I’ve just been virtually a long time, it’s not my first…

“I remember how I was with my first championship, plane my second and third. The sleepless nights and all those sorts of things. Obviously, I am a lot increasingly sure of myself, and unromantic myself largest than overly before. I know I can’t transpiration anything from the past, but all I can do is prepare the weightier I can for what’s superiority of me. I 100% know that I have.”