The Formula One world champion declared on Instagram yesterday that he worried about the “extinction of our race” if humans keep eating animals.
“I’m sad right now with the thought of where this world is going,” wrote the 32-year-old who is on course for a sixth world title, leading Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas by 64 points with four races left. If a long list of previous controversies are any indication, the social-media furore around his post — with many strongly supportive and many violently opposed — is unlikely to deflect the Mercedes driver. Others in Formula One were, perhaps understandably, reluctant to wade into a debate on the environment, though one former world champion posted a response that saw both sides.
“Lewis will get no end of flack for this, being a jet setting F1 star. We are all hypocritical to greater or lesser degrees,” wrote Damon Hill, now a pundit. “But if people like him don’t speak out then we all carry on in the same vein and don’t even try to change. Its not that bad, eating carrots #f1 #carrots” .
In November 2015, he drew the ire of animals rights groups for posts on Twitter and Facebook that he felt expressed his love of cute, furry animals.
In 2011, complaining on the BBC that he was being victimised by stewards, Hamilton jokingly borrowed a line from British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen: “Maybe it’s because I’m black, I don’t know. That’s what Ali G says...”
