Sir Lewis Hamilton made a number of gestures last year as he campaigned for black equality and justice, and he referenced a number of incidents that had occurred in the US.
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For instance, he wore a t-shirt during the podium ceremony of the Tuscan Grand Prix which called for the “cops who killed Breonna Taylor” to be arrested.
This prompted the FIA to explicitly ban the wearing of non-official clothing during podium ceremonies and post-race interviews in late September.
Speaking this week, 1978 F1 World Champion Mario Andretti said he doesn’t like to see “politics in sport” and suggested Hamilton shouldn’t mix the two.
“I’ve already expressed my opinion on this and was criticised for it… but I don’t like to see politics in sport,” Andretti said.
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“The great thing about the Olympics is that teams from all over the world come together to compete.
“They are all the same and all have the same goal. Either you win or you don’t, no matter what your background.
“Bringing in politics, as has been the case, divides people. We have seen that in the United States. If you say something that is a little bit questionable, the arguments start right away. I don’t like it when we mix the two.
“F1 should remain pure sport. Yes, we all have our values but trying to push our own agenda? I don’t know.
“I think politics has its own place and I’d prefer it if stays out of sport,” the motorsport legend added.
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