Six-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has come out in support for the protestors who pulled down the statue of Edward Colston, a slave trader, and dumped it in a Bristol harbour. Hamilton, the current F1 world champion and the only black driver in Formula One, has been vocal in his condemnation of the killing of George Floyd, an Africa-American man, in police custody and in his support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Commenting on the protestors dumping the slave trader’s statue, Hamilton said he supported the act and it should "stay in the river". Lewis Hamilton 'Overcome with Rage' Following George Floyd's Death in US.

The 35-year-old, who had last week called out fellow F1 drivers for keeping mum on the murder of Floyd and also the Black Lives Matter movement, took to Instagram to state that the protestors in Bristol had done the right thing in taking down Colston’s statue and also added that it should be left where it was thrown instead of being placed at the museum. Lewis Hamilton Slams F1 Fraternity For Staying Mum on Death of George Floyd, Charles Leclerc Lando Norris, George Russell Respond.

"If those people hadn't taken down that statue, honouring a racist slave trader, it would never have been removed," Hamilton wrote on Instagram. "There's talks of it going into a museum. That man's statue should stay in the river just like the 20 thousand African souls who died on the journey here and thrown into the sea, with no burial or memorial. He stole them from their families, country and he must not be celebrated! It should be replaced with a memorial for those he sold, all those that lost their lives!!” he added.

The UK government, however, called the statue’s removal a criminal act with home secretary Priti Patel condemning it as ‘utterly disgraceful.’ Some other officials, like the Bristol mayor, supported it and called for the country to re-examine the representation of Britain's colonial past.

Meanwhile, F1 sporting director, Ross Brown, also backed Hamilton in his protest against racism and said that Formula One will fully support the Briton after Hamilton rued the lack of black drivers’ representation in motorsport. Brown said that the sport is working on ways to improve and provide greater opportunities for all to try and get into the game.

“We are looking at how we can have a really, really basic karting initiative to get kids involved at a very early stage,” he said. “F1 is a meritocracy but we can give greater opportunity to minority and ethnic groups to get involved in motorsport. Not just driving but engineering and other activities,” said Brown.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 10, 2020 03:41 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).