Alfa Romeo Racing Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen believes too much has been read into his decision not to take the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement at the Austrian Grand Prix.
Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Kimi were among the six drivers who refused to kneel in what was set to be a unified protests moments before the season-opening race on Sunday. All 20 drivers did line up on the grid at the Red Bull Ring to take a stance against discrimination, with Lewis Hamilton the only one to line up with a Black Lives Matter T-shirt while the others wore a top emblazoned with the message ‘end racism’.
But speaking to Sky Sports News, Kimi Raikkonen claimed it was crazy to question the motives of drivers like himself who refused to take the knee
“Everyone has a right to do what they feel like,’ he said – “All the drivers are definitely against racism and we all had the search. I am more than happy to help on these things but each individual has the right to do how they feel most comfortable, so I think F1 and all the teams are doing the best that they can. I think it is a bit crazy sometimes to question things but that’s how goes this unfortunately.’
Kimi’s comments come after Australian Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo -who did take the knee – defended those who had chosen to stand.
‘I just think there was a little bit of difficulty with some drivers and their nationality, and what something like taking a knee would represent,’ he was quoted as saying by Yahoo Sport – “Obviously the reasons why we would do it is purely to support Black Lives Matter – “It is for nothing political or anything else… We all understood that we will do what we feel comfortable with. But no one is going to be judged or criticised if they don’t stand there in a certain way or take a knee.”
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