SEPANG, Malaysia -- Three-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton says he supports athletes using their sport to make a political statement, adding that he identifies with recent protests made by players in the NFL.
The NFL's latest round of games were marked by team members kneeling, locking arms, raising fists or refusing to come out of the locker room during the pre-game American national anthem. The protests came in the wake of United States president Donald Trump criticising players who had knelt during the national anthem, labelling it as disrespectful and suggesting they should be fired.
Speaking about the issue ahead of this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix, Hamilton said he supports the NFL players and believes athletes should feel free to use their sports to express political beliefs.