During the tests of the Grand Prix of Qatar, a country visited for the first time by Formula 1, Hamilton wore a helmet representing the "rainbow flag" embellished with other bands of black, brown, blue, pink and white and the words " We stand together ".
"I think we are all aware that there are problems in some countries where we go and especially in this part of the world," said the seven-time world champion on Thursday.
The first black driver in F1, who made the fight against discrimination his fight off the track, felt that Formula 1, "coming here, has a duty to educate people on these issues" of human rights.
For Hamilton, the drivers have to "make the sport more responsible and make sure that the sport really does something when it comes to these countries, and that's why I tried to raise my voice".
"I know that these countries are trying to make progress, and that we cannot transform everything overnight," he continued, noting that he was "not (originally) from these regions" and that the situation was "incredibly complex, especially with religion".
"One person cannot change much, but together, collectively, we can have a bigger impact," he said.
With him at a press conference, McLaren driver Lando Norris also estimated that "as a community, as Formula 1", sport could have an impact, as F1 will go to Saudi Arabia in early December for the first time.
The Hamilton helmet is reminiscent of the t-shirt and mask worn by another former world champion, Sebastian Vettel, this summer at the Hungarian Grand Prix, in the midst of a debate on a law accused by many European leaders of including discrimination against towards LGBT + people.
© 2021 AFP