{"id":10881,"date":"2026-10-23T09:50:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T09:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=10881"},"modified":"2026-10-23T09:50:10","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T09:50:10","slug":"hamilton-calls-for-palestine-and-dr-congo-freedom-as-rwanda-takes-f1-spotlight-motorsports-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sotnews.agency\/?p=10881","title":{"rendered":"Hamilton calls for Palestine and DR Congo freedom as Rwanda takes F1 spotlight | Motorsports News"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rwanda\u2019s controversial Formula One GP leads Lewis Hamilton to call for freedom for DR Congo, while renewing Palestine plea.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Published On 23 Oct 2026<\/span>23 Oct 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has renewed his call for freedom for Palestine when pressed on the controversial decision to award a Grand Prix to Rwanda.<\/p>\n

The 41-year-old is the only Black competitor in the motorsport and said an African race would make people more aware of the continent, but recognised there were concerns and used the issue to expand on his stance on humanitarian issues across the world.<\/p>\n

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Human rights campaigners Amnesty International recently accused Formula One of hollow words and offering Rwanda a \u201csportswashing prize\u201d \u2013 an accusation levelled at countries perceived to be using sport to improve a tarnished image abroad.<\/p>\n

Hamilton, who was speaking before Sunday\u2019s US Grand Prix, has long called for a Gaza ceasefire amid Israel\u2019s genocidal war and returned to the matter \u2013 as well as other conflicts \u2013 when asked about a Grand Prix in Rwanda.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we need to make sure we\u2019re pushing to free Congo, free Sudan, free Syria, free Palestine,\u201d Hamilton said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of peace that I\u2019m hoping we get to at some stage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rwanda in the spotlight after Formula One GP award<\/h2>\n

Rwanda President Paul Kagame has been accused of repressive methods to keep his grip on power, with opponents dying in prisons, independent media muzzled, and other abuses.<\/p>\n

Neighbouring Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) joined the criticism<\/a> of Formula One\u2019s decision to award a race to Rwanda, which is accused by the DRC, the United States and United Nations experts of backing the M23 rebels fighting in the DRC.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, I don\u2019t get to choose where we go,\u201d Hamilton continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cNaturally, there are problems all over the world today, so I\u2019ve seen many of the stories. But I think we really have to approach it with humility.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, going there doesn\u2019t mean that you neglect the things that are happening there.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo hopefully many people start to educate themselves a little bit more about what is happening there and what has happened there for hundreds of years. I hope that does spark the conversation.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrowing up in England, they never taught us anything about Africa. It needs to be on the curriculum.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of the problems they have there are still results of colonialism and the West intervening.\u201d<\/p>\n

Formula One\u2019s return to Africa has been Hamilton\u2019s dream<\/h2>\n

Hamilton said a race in Africa was a dream that could keep him going longer in the sport now that Formula One has done a deal with Rwanda for a Grand Prix in the early 2030s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Ferrari driver will be 42 in January and has a contract for 2027. Fernando Alonso, the oldest active F1 driver, is 45 and recently signed up for another season with Aston Martin.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m now forced to stay a lot longer because we have a race in Africa, and that\u2019s been my dream, to be able to race in Africa,\u201d Hamilton said on Thursday in a news conference alongside championship leader Kimi Antonelli.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have to keep fighting to try and stay fit. If I can still punch out good results over the next year, we\u2019ll keep it going.\u201d<\/p>\n

Antonelli, who replaced Hamilton at Mercedes last season and is still only 20 years old, encouraged him: \u201cYou got to do at least the first one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hamilton, the sport\u2019s first and only Black champion, has long campaigned for a race in Africa \u2013 a continent that last hosted a race at South Africa\u2019s Kyalami circuit in 1993 \u2013 and spoke of his efforts.<\/p>\n

\u201cCountless meetings with the stakeholders, so many meetings with (F1 CEO) Stefano (Domenicali) at his office in London, but also on race weekends, countless calls: \u2018What\u2019s happening? Where are we going? Who are you meeting with?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cMany meetings with different presidents from different countries. Lots of phone calls with different presidents from different countries within Africa,\u201d he recalled.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think for me, it\u2019s a place that deserves to have a Grand Prix. It\u2019s about more than just one country. It\u2019s about the continent itself.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Rwanda\u2019s controversial Formula One GP leads Lewis Hamilton to call for freedom for DR Congo, while renewing Palestine plea. Published On 23 Oct 202623 Oct 2026 Seven-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton has renewed his call for freedom for Palestine when pressed on the controversial decision to award a Grand Prix to Rwanda. The 41-year-old…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_2277560469115098_106292521332774":"","twitter_aToxNzczMzI3Njk4OTg4ODUxMjAxOw==_1773327698988851200":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_templately_pack_id":"","_templately_imported_at":"","_templately_source":"","_templately_import_session_id":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-international-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t