F1 Drivers Set to Stop Taking Knee Despite Lewis Hamilton views.

F1 drivers are set to stop taking the knee before races. The sport’s bosses have opted to end the gesture before the start of the new season next month.

Led by seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, several drivers took a knee in front of the grid in solidarity with promoting racial equality both in F1 and wider society. “The [knee] gesture was important for the ones that believed that was an important gesture, because we need to respect everyone,” F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali told Sky Sports.

“But now is the time to move on and take some other action. The action is the focus on the diversity of our community, and this is the first step. We are committed to increasing diversity and opportunity within this incredible sport.”

In order to carry on their anti-racism message, F1 announced today that it will extend its funding commitment to the Formula One Engineering Scholarship programme for underrepresented groups until 2025.

They will also continue to screen the anti-racism message ahead of every race, as well as F1’s ‘We Race As One’ branding. It is understood that Hamilton, and others, will still be able to take a knee if they wish, possibly at another stage before the start of the race, perhaps by their cars.

He has been using his platform to promote anti-racism and achieve diversity in his sport, in which he is still the only black driver.