All drivers wore a black sweater with the text "end racism" for the season premiere of Formula 1 in Austria. Prior to the race, there were also discussions that several drivers and teams would kneel during the national anthem to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
When it was time for the national anthem, several drivers chose not to do so, including Max Verstappen, Kimi Räikkönen and Charles Leclerc, who also posted a statement on their social media before the race.
“I think what matters is facts and behavior in our daily lives and not formal gestures that can be seen as controversial in some countries. I will not kneel, but that does not mean that I am less involved than others in the fight against rasim, ”he wrote.