Mercedes F1 boss backs Hamilton on racial injustice

Mercedes F1 boss backs Hamilton on racial injustice

Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff gives Lewis Hamilton his full backing for the passionate condemnation of racial injustice after the death of George Floyd.

REENDING WITH UPDATED SCRIPT VIDEO SHOWS: TWO SOUNDBITES FROM MERCEDES TEAM PRINCIPAL, TOTO WOLFF, MESSAGE POSTED ON LEWIS HAMILTON'S TWITTER PAGE, STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF TOTO WOLFF AND LEWIS HAMILTON, FILE FOOTAGE OF LEWIS HAMILTON SHOWS: UNKNOWN LOCATION (JUNE 3, 2020) (MERCEDES VNR - ACCESS ALL) 1.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) MERCEDES F1 TEAM PRINCIPAL, TOTO WOLFF, SAYING: "We always… we know that Lewis (Hamilton) is always a strong supporter of any minorities and to be honest I have learned a lot from him as well.

He has asked me the question once, 'Have you ever thought… have you ever had the active thought of that you're white?'

And I said 'No actually I've never thought about it' and he said, 'Well you know I need to think about it every day because I'm being made aware that I am'.

And I think therefore it's very difficult for us to comprehend how difficult it is and therefore I'm happy and supportive that he has come out vocal.

He's one of the ambassadors of this sport and I think it's good." 2.

WHITE FLASH 3.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) MERCEDES F1 TEAM PRINCIPAL, TOTO WOLFF, SAYING: "You know, I was lucky enough of when I was raised in a household with different nationalities that I was… that I lived with a Jewish family for a long time when my family faced tough times and I saw what discrimination looked like as an early child already.

And I think all of us have the power to make a change and sometimes it needs events like the ones that happened a few days ago in the U.S. to trigger a massive wave of support for any minority and I think it's good that Lewis as a sports superstar is the one, you know, how would you say, is the one up front with it in a sport that is very much - in our sport very much dominated by white males and we as a team we encourage diversity and it's pure… we choose our people purely on performance and don't look at culture, religion or skin colour and I think all of us can make a difference.

Every single one of us must be part of a movement to stop these kind of things happening." INTERNET (JUNE 2, 2020) (SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 4.

VARIOUS OF MESSAGE POSTED ON LEWIS HAMILTON'S TWITTER PAGE, READING (English): "THUS PAST WEEK HAS BEEN SO DARK.

I HAVE FAILED TO KEEP HOLD OF MY EMOTIONS.

I HAVE FELT SO MUCH ANGER, SADNESS AND DISBELIEF IN WHAT MY EYES HAVE SEEN.

I AM COMPLETELY OVERCOME WITH RAGE AT THE SIGHT OF SUCH BLATANT DISREGARD FOR THE LIVES OF OUR PEOPLE.

THE INJUSTICE THAT WE ARE SEEING OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS FACE ALL OVER THE WORLD TIME AND TIME AGAIN IS DISGUSTING, AND MUST STOP.

"SO MANY PEOPLE SEEM SURPRISED, BUT TO US UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS NOT SURPRISING.

THOSE OF US WHO ARE BLACK, BROWN OR IN BETWEEN, SEE IT EVERYDAY SHOULD NOT HAVE TO FEEL AS THOUGH WE WERE BORN GUILTY, DON'T BELONG, OR FEAR FOR OUR LIVES BASED ON THE COLOUR OF OUR SKIN.

WILL SMITH SAID IT BEST, RACISM IS NOT GETTING WORSE, IT'S BEING FILMED.

ONLY NOW THAT THE WORLD IS SO WELL EQUIPPED WITH CAMERAS HAS THIS ISSUE BEEN ABLE TO COME TO LIGHT IN SUCH A BIG WAY.

"IT IS ONLY WHEN THERE ARE RIOTS AND SCREAMS FOR JUSTICE THAT THE POWERS THAT BE CAVE IN AND DO SOMETHING, BUT BY THEN IT IS FAR TOO LATE AND NOT ENOUGH HAS BEEN DONE.

IT TOOK HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLES COMPLAINTS AND BUILDINGS TO BURN BEFORE OFFICIALS REACTED AND DECIDED TO ARREST DEREK CHAUVIN FOR MURDER, AND THAT IS SAD.

"UNFORTUNATELY, AMERICA IS NOT THE ONLY PLACE WHERE RACISM LIVES AND WE CONTINUE TO FAIL AS HUMANS WHEN WE CANNOT STAND UP FOR WHAT IS RIGHT.

PLEASE DO NOT SIT IN SILENCE, NO MATTER THE COLOUR OF OUR SKIN.

BLACK LIVES MATTER #BLACKOUTTUESAY" NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE - OCTOBER 17, 2018) (REUTERS PICTURES - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 5.

STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF TOTO WOLFF WITH LEWIS HAMILTON DURING AN INTERVIEW WITH REUTERS LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - DECEMBER 2, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 6.

LEWIS HAMILTON ON THE RED CARPET AT THE 2019 BRITISH FASHION AWARDS BERLIN, GERMANY (FILE - NOVEMBER 7, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 7.

VARIOUS OF HAMILTON ON RED CARPET OF GQ GERMANY'S MEN OF THE YEAR AWARDS SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - FEBRUARY 14, 2020) (MERCEDES VNR - NO RESALES) 8.

SIX TIMES FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPION LEWIS HAMILTON LOOKING AT HIS MERCEDES CAR WITH AN ENGINEER 9.

HAMILTON PUTTING ON CRASH HELMET 10.

HAMILTON SITTING IN THE CAR 11.

HAMILTON DRIVING OFF 12.

VIEW OF HAMILTON IN COCKPIT DRIVING 13.

VARIOUS OF HAMILTON DRIVING SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - FEBRUARY 22, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 14.

HAMILTON (SECOND FROM RIGHT), MERCEDES TEAM MATE VALTTERI BOTTAS (SECOND FROM LEFT), MERCEDES TEAM CEO TOTO WOLFF (CENTRE), MANAGING DIRECTOR - MERCEDES AMG ANDY COWELL (FAR RIGHT) AND TECHNICAL DIRECTOR JAMES ALLISON (FAR LEFT) STANDING BEHIND CAR AT THE 2018 MODEL'S LAUNCH 15.

HAMILTON SMILING FOR CAMERAS 16.

BOTTAS, WOLFF AND HAMILTON STANDING BEHIND CAR SILVERSTONE, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - MARCH 6, 2020) (UK POOL - ACCESS ALL) 17.

VARIOUS OF HAMILTON AND FORMER DUKE OF SUSSEX, PRINCE HARRY LOOKING AT A VINTAGE SPORTS CAR DURING A TOUR AT THE OPENING OF A MOTORSPORTS MUSEUM MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (FILE - OCTOBER 23, 2019) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 18.

HAMILTON POSING FOR PHOTOS AT PROMOTIONAL EVENT BEFORE LEAVING STORY: Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has given six-times Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton his full backing for the passionate condemnation of racial injustice after the death of George Floyd.

Hamilton spoke to millions of followers on social media of his rage and disbelief at the killing of the unarmed black man, who died in Minneapolis after a white U.S. police officer knelt on his neck.

Wolff told reporters that his racing driver, Formula One's first black champion, had taught him a lot about racial inequality.

"He has asked me the question once: 'Have you ever had the active thought that you are white?'," said the Austrian.

"I said no actually I have never thought about it.

And he said 'well, I need to think about it every day because I am being made aware that I am'.

"It is very difficult for us to comprehend how difficult it is and therefore I am happy and supportive that he has come out vocal.

He is one of the ambassadors of this sport and I think it's good." Floyd's death has triggered a wave of outrage and violent protests in the United States.

Four Minneapolis police officers are facing charges.

"I think we all of us have the power to make a change," said Wolff.

"Sometimes it needs events like the ones that happened a few days ago in the U.S. to trigger a massive wave of support for any minority.

"I think it's good that Lewis, as a sports superstar, is the one up front with it in a sport that is very much dominated by white males," said Wolff.

(Production: Tim Hart)