Bernie Ecclestone once asked ‘racist fans’ to confront Lewis Hamilton: ‘Explain to him why you blacked your face’

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Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonsos’ skirmish at McLaren made the former a villain in Spain. But a group of Spanish fans got a head start when, at the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix, they appeared on the stands with blackened faces to racially mock Hamilton. Bernie Ecclestone has revealed he allowed racist fans to take on Hamilton.

The former Formula 1 boss approached them in the stands when their appearance looked clearly inappropriate. Ecclestone offered to visit the track the next day, and they would be taken to Hamilton, where they could tell the latter what they wanted to say, but this offer was never accepted.

Well, tomorrow we’ll pick you up and bring you to the paddock, and you can take on Lewis. [Hamilton] and explain to him why you blacked out your face, Ecclestone reminded Business F1.

The former S1 Supremo initially reveals that for those racist fans, the idea seemed like fun. But he made it clear that it wasn’t fun. Ecclestone then revealed the following day that the same fans had not appeared.

For Lewis Hamilton, it was like reliving the trauma

Hamilton has been a racial minority in the sport since his go-kart days. In fact, he is the only black driver in F1 history to have raced in a Grand Prix. Thus, the lack of representation has always made the seven-time world champion a target of racism.

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Remembering that time, Hamilton told WSJ magazine in 2021 that he was pained to see these visuals even though he hadn’t said anything. What hurt him even more is that none of his competitors defended him and remained silent.

This incident has been buried over the years, but with the Black Lives Matter movement, everything Hamilton has faced as racial abuse has resurfaced. At the height of the protests, Hamilton even accused F1 of not doing enough to bring racial justice to the sport.

The Birth of the Hamilton Commission

Hamilton has surely faced a lot for his skin color. However, he wants to bring about a change through the pedestal he was given. A few years ago, the seven-time world champion launched the Hamilton Commission, which aims to bring diversity to the sport by promoting people of color to key positions in motorsport.

The campaign created by Hamilton is still one of the most discussed topics in the F1 fraternity. Hamilton also runs Mission 44, a foundation Hamilton started to transform the lives of children from disadvantaged and discriminated backgrounds.

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Through such efforts, Hamilton has become one of the most important voices in sport speaking out on several issues around the world. Consequently, his F1 personality is no longer limited to racing but goes far beyond it.

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