Lewis Hamilton escapes punishment for the ‘Arrest the cops’ Breonna Taylor t-shirt he wore at Tuscan Grand Prix but F1 chiefs move to change rules and block any repeat
- British driver Lewis Hamilton will not be disciplined by the FIA for recent protest
- He wore a t-shirt in honour of Breonna Taylor at Tuscan Grand Prix last weekend
- Hamilton sported a top which read: ‘Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor’
- The FIA looked into whether t-shirt breached it statutes but will not punish him
- Governing body has however moved to clarify its rules over drivers’ protests
Lewis Hamilton has escaped punishment for wearing a controversial T-shirt after the Tuscan Grand Prix on Sunday.
The six-time world champion took to the podium carrying the slogan: ‘Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor,’ in reference to the black woman who was killed by police in Kentucky in March.
The FIA confirmed on Monday that his gesture was ‘under active consideration’, but after looking into the matter have decided not to charge Hamilton with breaching their statutes.
Lewis Hamilton stood on the Mugello podium wearing a shirt calling for the arrest of police officers following the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor
Hamilton had earlier worn the shirt in the build up to the Tuscan Grand Prix in Italy on Sunday
A spokesman for the governing body told Sportsmail: ‘There will be no further action. We will have a discussion with him and produce clarification (over podium protocol) in the next race director’s notes.’
The FIA are keen to work with Hamilton on his anti-racism campaign, but want to protect their status as a strictly non-political organisation.
They were caught unawares by the Briton’s choice of T-shirt, which he wore during the pre-race anti-racism demonstration as well as while celebrating his 90th career win.
The world champion will not be punished by the FIA for his protest – but there are moves to clarify the rules, possibly meaning Hamilton will be told not to wear such a t-shirt again
Hamilton insisted he will not be blown off course in his fight for equality.
Writing on social media, the 35-year-old said: ‘I want you to know that I won’t let up on using this platform to shed light on what I believe is right..’