Haas F1 rookie Mick Schumacher has sparked criticism after shying away from a question about Formula One’s anti-racism campaign and Sir Lewis Hamilton’s efforts to raise awareness about black injustice.
The 2020 Formula Two Champion replied “no comment” when asked about both matters in an interview with Italy’s La Stampa newspaper.
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This quickly prompted criticism from some F1 fans on social media, with a few questioning his reasoning for not publicly supporting the sport’s anti-racism initiative.
“If you are neutral on these matters, you have chosen the side of the oppressor,” one F1 fan wrote in a tweet criticising the Haas driver.
Another posted: “In the end, we won’t remember the words of our enemies, we will remember the silence of our friends.”
However, it should be noted that Schumacher generally tried to keep the interview focused on motorsport and his racing career, with him also refusing to comment on whether he had been able to speak to his father, seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher, about his upcoming F1 debut.
“This is a private matter. We should return to motorsport topics,” Schumacher replied.
Later in the interview, he admitted that it would be a “dream” to drive for Ferrari like his father did and he said he is “very happy” to be racing with Haas in his debut season in Formula One.
The young German is currently self-isolating in the UK after entering the country to visit the Haas F1 Team’s facilities in Banbury.
He will be racing alongside controversial Russian racing driver Nikita Mazepin at the American outfit this upcoming season.
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