Nov.6 (GMM) Lewis Hamilton has issued a quick-fire response to Bernie Ecclestone’s claim that recent incidents of apparent racism were over-the-top jokes
“I don’t particularly think it was a joke,” the 23-year-old, who last Sunday became F1’s youngest ever and also first black world champion in history, said on Thursday at the launch of the new Blackberry Storm phone at the Vodafone store on Oxford Street (London)
Hamilton was referring to a test at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya earlier this year, when fans of Spaniard Fernando Alonso blacked out their faces and wore t-shirts scrawled with ‘Hamilton’s family’
“It’s something that happened in the past and going forward all that is important to me is that I know I have lots of fans, especially here in the UK,” the Briton said
“As long as I have my country behind me it makes me very proud.”nnHe did not want to specifically take issue with Ecclestone’s remarks, given he had not read them himself
“I’m sure whatever he said was a positive thing,” said Hamilton
