F1: Several Drivers Choose Not to Kneel Alongside Lewis Hamilton, Leaving Fans Split

Saturday afternoon, the 20 Formula One drivers lined up on the Austrian Grand Prix's track wearing shirts that read "End Racism." Lewis Hamilton, the sport's only Black driver, donned a Black Lives Matter shirt while kneeling. Of the 20 drivers, 14 total kneeled while the other six stood. Charles Leclerc explained his decision by saying that "facts and behaviors" matter more than formal gestures.

When the fans saw this pre-race moment, they reacted with wildly varying responses. Some said that the drivers were "braindead" after kneeling. Others said that having six drivers stand while the others kneel was not a sign of unity. The critics were vocal, but so were those that supported Hamilton and the other drivers. Several voiced the opinion that it doesn't matter if some stood; they said that what matters is that all of the drivers are simply dedicated to fighting racism in any form.