Paris (AFP)

Six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has further illustrated himself in the role of Formula 1 sting, denouncing the silence of the "biggest stars" of his sport "dominated by white" after the death of George Floyd in the United United.

"No one moves a finger in my sport which is of course dominated by whites. I am one of the only people of color there, I am still alone," the pilot said over the weekend on Instagram. British, himself Métis, while the United States ignited.

"I would have thought you would now see why this is happening and react, but you cannot stand by our side. Just know that I know who you are and that I see you," Hamilton wrote again.

It is not the first time that he has used his notoriety to defend causes that go beyond sport. Ecology, the defense of animals, global warming have seen it "take a stand", even if it does not appear to be the best placed in the matter given the very nature of motor sport.

But at 35 years old and with an extraordinary career, his aura is enormous with 16.3 million people who follow him on Instagram and 5.7 million on Twitter. He also enjoys a very good reputation among his peers, especially with a young generation of pilots experienced in media techniques of communication with their fans.

Several of them immediately responded to the call from their elder, often in a contrite manner.

"To be completely honest, I did not feel in my place and uncomfortable to share my thoughts on social networks. But I was completely wrong," replied on Monaco's Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, 22 years.

A point of view shared by the Briton George Russell (Williams), also 22 years old, and also by Alex Albon (Red Bull), 24 years old, whose mother is Thai.

- "Defend what is right" -

The Briton Lando Norris (McLaren), one of the most active at 20 years on social networks, acknowledged that his audience gave him a special role to play in "defending what is right".

But this activism is not unanimously shared. The counterexample is Sebastian Vettel, who is still running until the end of the season for Ferrari.

The quadruple German world champion has chosen to be absent from social networks and remains completely silent about his personal life and his opinions.

This does not necessarily work in his favor when he is currently without a steering wheel in 2021.

A source close to F1 pointed out to AFP that a possible future boss could not ignore the fact that the double Spanish world champion Fernando Alonso, eager at 38 to return to the category, weighs heavier by 7 million of "followers".

Mercedes, for whom Hamilton has been racing since 2013 and has won five of its six world crowns, immediately supported him anyway on Sunday. "We are with you Lewis, tolerance is one of the basic principles of our team," said the German team on Instagram.

Having become one of the spokespersons of his peers during the recent negotiations on the new F1 regulations, even if it means criticizing the proposals of the governing bodies of his sport, the Briton is not the first driver to "open it up".

The Scottish Jackie Stewart, in the 1960s and 1970s, had campaigned for circuit and driver safety which had alienated many people from him. The Austrian Niki Lauda, ​​who died last year at the age of 70, was also renowned for his outspokenness and rebellious nature.

But most of their positions remained in the context of F1 and motorsport, from which Lewis Hamilton did not hesitate.

He was thus the first to say publicly, at the start of the new coronavirus pandemic in mid-March, that the F1 "circus" had nothing to do in Australia, where the first Grand Prix of the season was going to be contested, denouncing in passing "king money". Less than 36 hours later, everyone had packed up after a first positive case on the paddock.

© 2020 AFP