Will Lewis Hamilton be punished for wearing a rainbow helmet in Miami?

Lewis Hamilton previews 2023 Miami Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton will be hoping to avoid being punished by the FIA at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, with the Mercedes ace set to wear a rainbow-coloured helmet in support of the city’s LGBTQ+ community. The move from Hamilton is widely believed to be in response to Florida governor Ron DeSantis expanding the controversial Parental Rights in Education Act into law last month.

The bill prohibits classroom instruction about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, while teachers and other school employees would be prohibited from telling students their preferred pronouns and would be barred from asking students about their preferred pronouns.

Hamilton has never shied away from showing his support for the LGBTQ+ community and is set to make another visual statement by donning a rainbow helmet in Miami this weekend, although it remains to be seen whether he will face retrospective action from the FIA due to their ban on drivers making ‘political statements’ at Grand Prix events without special permission.

“I really do continue to stand with the LGBTQ community, and I’m wearing the rainbow flag on my helmet this weekend, and I just really want to continue to support the community here and let them know that I stand with them, and I hope that they continue to fight against it,” said Hamilton.

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It seems likely that the 38-year-old will avoid being punished by the FIA for wearing a rainbow-coloured helmet in Miami after doing so in Bahrain earlier this year without facing any negative repercussions. The governing body went on to clarify that drivers are permitted to say what they want in interviews and press conferences, with the ban on political statements only relating to formal events such as the grid ceremony and podium.

Hamilton’s rainbow helmet in Bahrain was reportedly welcomed by FIA officials and Stefano Domenicali, who told Autosport that he liked the design and has previously made it clear that he is not looking to gag drivers who want to promote messages.

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“Everyone wants to talk, so to have the platform to say what they want in the right way the better it is,” he said in an interview with The Guardian. “We have a huge opportunity because of the position of our sport which is more and more global, multicultural and multi-valued.

“We are talking about 20 drivers, 10 teams and many sponsors, they have different ideas, different views. I cannot say one is right, one is wrong but it is right, if needed, to give them a platform to discuss their opinions in an open way.

“We will not change that approach as a sport. That should be the line of our sport, to give everyone the chance to speak in the right way, not with aggressive tones or to offend but with respect.”

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