Lewis Hamilton was subject to 'multiple instances' of racist abuse on social media both during and after his win at the British Grand Prix.
The seven-time F1 world champion was involved in a controversial in-race collision with Red Bull driver Max Verstappen on Sunday afternoon.
Verstappen, who started in pole position at Silverstone, was clipped by Hamilton at Copse corner during the opening lap and as a result, was sent into the tyre wall at 180mph
The 23-year-old was taken to a nearby hospital and Hamilton was handed a 10-second penalty, which he later served in the pits.
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Despite that hefty penalty, the British driver managed to stage a remarkable comeback to secure a historic win and close the title race gap to just seven points.
Verstappen went on to brand Hamilton as 'disrespectful and unsportsmanlike' for celebrating his British GP win while he was in the hospital.
The incident involving Verstappen and Hamilton sparked a heated reaction from social media, with some fans directing vile racist abuse at the British driver that included gorilla and monkey emojis.
F1's official Twitter account soon released a statement condemning the abuse. It read: "During, and after, yesterday's British Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton was subjected to multiple instances of racist abuse on social media following an in-race collision.
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"Formula 1, The FIA and Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team condemn this behaviour in the strongest possible terms.
"These people have no place in our sport and we urge that those responsible should be held accountable for their actions.
"Formula 1, the FIA, the drivers and the teams are working to build a more diverse and inclusive sport, and such unacceptable instances of online abuse must be highlighted and eliminated."
The abuse comes just days after Hamilton joined the chorus of voices condemning the racial abuse of England players following their defeat in the Euro 2020 final.
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Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka's social media accounts were flooded with racist words and emojis after they missed their penalties against Italy.
Hamilton later posted a powerful message calling for people to come together and unite in a bid to stamp out racism for good.
"So much was running through my mind as I watched the final moments of the match last night," he said.
"On one hand I was so proud of how far we have come... to be in the final and with such a diverse team is a huge achievement we should all be proud of but as the players stepped up to take the penalties I was worried.
"The pressure to deliver is felt by every sportsperson but when you are a minority representing your country this is a layered experience. Success would feel like a double victory, but a miss feels like a two-fold failure when its compounded with racist abuse.
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"I so badly wanted that win like all of you but for me, it was for much more than winning the Euros, it was a much bigger picture. However, the disgusting behaviour by the few shows how much work still needs to be done. I hope that this opens a conversation around acceptance.
"We must work towards a society that doesn't require Black players to prove their value or place in society only through victory. Ultimately everyone on the England team should be so proud of their achievement and how they represented us."
Featured Image Credit:Topics: SPORT, Lewis Hamilton, F1
