Lewis Hamilton says he was inspired by the way Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho reacted to the racist abuse they received following England’s Euro 2020 defeat to Italy.
The trio all missed penalties in Sunday’s shootout at Wembley and were subsequently targeted on social media.
Hamilton, who is gearing up for his home race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, on Sunday lauded the England squad for their togetherness and performance during the Euros.
“Love conquers all,” said Hamilton, Formula One’s only Black driver.
“We do have a long way to go, we need to grow from these experiences but I was really, really proud of how the England squad performed and how they handled it as a team, all coming from different backgrounds.
“And particularly those individual players who were in the line of fire. How they handled it, hats off to them. Incredibly inspiring.
“So many people throughout the country have been massively supportive. We’re a proud nation but it doesn’t mean we can’t continue to learn,” he added.
Hamilton is chasing a record-extending eighth win at Silverstone but is 32 points behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen after nine races.
