Lando Norris has called on all Formula 1 drivers to support the push for racial equality by taking a knee prior to the Austrian Grand Prix.
This weekend is expected to see a number of symbolic moments as F1 launches the #WeRaceAsOne initiative aimed at promoting diversity and equality in the wake of the recent Black Lives Matter protests.
Of course, among the drivers, world champion Lewis Hamilton has been the most vocal on social media, and it is expected he’ll take a knee before the race.
However, now there is a concerted effort, as has been the case with football matches, to have all participants join and show their support.
“Some of the drivers have already been speaking [about taking a knee],” Norris told the PA news agency. “If we are going to do it, we should all do it as a grid.
“It will be discussed following the drivers’ briefing with the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association on Friday. We will do whatever we can to show that we care and respect everyone. We will do what is right when the time comes.”
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Norris has joined Hamilton in being relatively outspoken by using his Twitch platform to support the Black Lives Matter movement, reporting a loss of subscribers as a result.
But he is remaining firm in voicing his views.
“I want to do better than any other driver, but everyone should be given the same opportunity and treated the same. It is not fair that people get treated differently because of their race,” he said.
“This sport reaches millions of people and the more we can do as drivers, teams, and as a community in Formula One, the bigger impact we can have.”
As for his McLaren team, boss Andreas Seidl is fully behind F1’s new message.
“In terms of all the initiatives that are in discussion at the moment between the drivers, for us as McLaren, we obviously fully support the different initiatives that are ongoing at the moment,” he said. “We are very close there, also, with Formula 1.
“In the end, we leave it completely to our drivers, how they feel they have to deal with the different initiatives that are in discussion at the moment.”
