Ugly aftermath of Lewis Hamilton’s ‘unacceptable’ act in the British Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton’s triumph at the British Grand Prix has been tarnished by a disgusting reaction from Formula 1 fans.

Race winner Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton on the podium after the Formula One British Grand Prix motor race at Silverstone motor racing circuit in Silverstone, central England on July 18, 2021. (Photo by LARS BARON / various sources / AFP)

Seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton was targeted with racist abuse online following his British Grand Prix triumph.

Hamilton secured his 99th Grand Prix victory at Silverstone on Sunday, recovering from a 10-second time penalty to overtake Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on Lap 50.

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But the British driver’s win was overshadowed by a collision with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen on the opening lap, where the Dutchman crashed into a tyre wall at 289 km/h.

Verstappen thankfully walked away from the incident unscathed, undergoing a medical examination at the track before being taken to a local hospital for further tests.

Hamilton was penalised two championship points for his involvement in the horror crash.

“Lewis Hamilton is a world champion and he shouldn’t be making manoeuvres like that,” Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told Sky Sports.

“It’s unacceptable. He’s put a driver … thank goodness the biggest result for us today is he was uninjured.

“He’s having to go to hospital for precautionary checks after a 51G accident, so I hope Lewis is very happy with himself.”

Lewis Hamilton is one victory away from 100 Grand Prix triumphs.

As reported by Sky Sports, an Instagram post from the Mercedes team celebrating Hamilton’s success was flooded with racist messages and monkey emojis.

English football stars Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho were similarly targeted by a torrent of disgusting threats and abuse online after missing penalties in the wild 3-2 loss to Italy in the Euros final.

Hamilton remains the only Black driver in Formula 1 history, and has been an outspoken advocate of the Black Live Matter movement.

The 36-year-old has fought to improve opportunities for people of colour in the motorsport industry and the United Kingdom’s education system.

“I was asking a lot of questions for a long, long time, for years. Why am I one of the very few people of colour here? There was never a good answer, no one ever knew,” Hamilton told Sky Sports.

“I really wanted to understand the root of the cause so that I could know better but also the industry, we can go on a journey together.

“So it’s great to see what Formula 1 are coming out with (scholarship programs for under-represented groups were announced this week) and I know the FIA will be following with something soon.”

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas were also on the podium.

Last year, Hamilton criticised Formula 1 for a “rushed” pre-race anti-racism display at the Hungarian Grand Prix, speaking to officials to ensure drivers are given more time to convey their message.

He also took aim at the Formula 1 paddock over an eerie silence that fell over teams in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.

Hamilton currently sits eight points behind championship leader Verstappen on the F1 drivers’ standings.

The 2021 season will resume on Sunday, August 1 with the Hungarian Grand Prix.

British Grand Prix results

1st – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

2nd – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

3rd – Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)

4th – Lando Norris (McLaren)

5th – Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)

6th – Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)

7th – Fernando Alonso (Alpine)

8th – Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)

9th – Sebastian Ocon (Alpine)

10th – Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri)