Surprise end to taking the knee in F1: 'That doesn't suddenly disappear'

On Tuesday, February 8, Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali announced that there will be no more taking the knee before the race. It's understood that Lewis Hamilton is aware, and Sebastian Vettel is also disappointed and surprised.

Hamilton is known for his activism within Formula One. He is heavily involved in activism against racism, as he is the only black driver on the grid. Vettel has also often been in the news for his campaigns around climate change and improving the situation for the LGBTQ+ community.

Last year, the drivers knelt before each race to draw attention to racism and inequality within the sport following the We Race As One initiative. The drivers wore shirts with the words "End Racism" on them, but several drivers, including Hamilton and Vettel, occasionally wore shirts with other texts on them that still related to the theme.

In 2022 Formula 1 does not want to concern itself with this kind of action anymore, but wants to give priority to actions that bring about changes within the sport. The German driver admits to The Race that the drivers knew nothing about this change and he disagrees with that. "I was a bit surprised.I think the issues that we’re tackling are not going to be gone within two years. It was [probably] getting a bit too strong and individual for the business side of things," said the four-time world champion.

The Aston Martin driver hopes that some of the drivers will still be willing to come together next year to ask for attention for these kinds of issues. He understands that not every driver wants to do this, because during the kneeling ritual last year it was already clear that some drivers do not want to get involved.