Lewis Hamilton told today of his torment after being subjected to racist abuse as he tested his new Formula One car in Spain.
Fans at Barcelona’s Montmelo circuit shouted “black s***”, “black whore” and “f****** blacks” whenever the British driver, 23, made a pit stop.
Several others mocked him by wearing black make-up and wigs.
Hamilton, a hate figure in Spain due to his bitter rivalry last season with former double world champion Fernando Alonso, said today: “The truth is I feel quite sad.
“I love this country, especially the city of Barcelona and this circuit, which is one of my three favourites.
“The Spanish people have always been very warm to me, and even though I thought something like this might happen, it wasn’t pleasant … But I’m still positive, as I still have great fans and friends in Spain.
“The only thing I have done is to try to do my best and try to win the championship.
“I never tried to harm Fernando (Alonso) deliberately, but the battle was very tough, and my image in Spain has been badly damaged.”
Alonso, 26, from Asturias in northern Spain, was Hamilton’s team-mate at McLaren but has since returned to Renault.
In the most closely-fought Formula One title in years, both eventually missed out in the last race to Kimi Raikkonen, who claimed the world title.
Hamilton, speaking to the Spanish motorsport website SportLifePress.com, added: “I have learned a lot this year and I hope I won’t commit the same errors. We have a great car, a great team and the desire.”
Formula One chiefs said today the fans’ behaviour could lead to sanctions against two Spanish circuits. The Circuit de Catalunya is scheduled to stage the Spanish Grand Prix in May and Valencia the European Grand Prix for the first time three months later.
Officials warned both could be stripped of their events if there is a repeat of the abuse during pre-season tests which are scheduled to take place at Spanish circuits before next month’s opening race.
Racism has plagued Spanish sport in recent years. The Spanish FA was fined £44,750 after England stars Ashley Cole and Shaun Wright-Phillips were subjected to monkey chants during a 2004 friendly.
afrospear.wordpress.com 
Adrianne,
I saw this on BBC World news and just shook my head. I was not surprised since it has been previously reported of the racist comments by not only Spanish sports fans, but by coaches and managers also. I can only hope that they get stripped of the Spanish Grand Prix and the European Grand Prix to send a message that such behaviour will not be tolerated by the Formula One officials.
I won’t hold my breath waiting though!
Asabanga,
I’m interested too, to see what the repercussions will be, if any.
This is so bloody typical!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t want to stereotype Spain but I have been there and the racism is f-g evident! Lewis is a legend – they are just jealous and trying to bring him down.
Apparently these modern-day Spanish are mostly uneducated to their earliest descendants – – – who low and behold WERE AFRICANS!!!. [Please see J.A. Rogers Sex and Race, Volumes I, II and III]. If one is properly well read in all aspects of the human historical story, one readily understands that an individual (thanks to colonialism and slavery) is basically a mixture of several, if not more, ethnicities.
However, it is very amusing [in a sad, twisted way of course] to witness people immensely involved in hating themselves!
Disgusting. I just don’t get racists. Hatred is such a wasteful emotion.
http://anonymissblog.blogspot.com
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Those pictures…
Look at the expressions on their faces!
So sick my god.
Where’s Sharpton?
In the same book [J.A. Rogers, Sex and Race] Rogers mentioned that “Beethoven, the world’s greatest musician, was without a doubt a dark mulatto. He was called `The Black Spaniard.'”
I concur:
Check out. http://www.cwo.com/~lucumi/rogers.html for more info on this brilliant author.
Sex and Race was published in three volumes from 1941 to 1944. The first volume focuses on antiquity and is arguably the most fundamental of the three. As to ancient Asia, for example, Rogers devoted several pages of Sex and Race to the Black presence in early Japan. In the process he cites the studies of a number of accomplished scholars and anthropologists, raising the question “were the first Japanese Negroes?”
Other chapters are devoted to “The Negro in Ancient Greece,” “Negroes in Ancient Rome and Carthage” and “Were the Jews Originally Negroes?” The appendices of Sex and Race are equally fascinating, focusing on “Black Gods and Messiahs” and the “History of the Black Madonnas.” In Volume Two of Sex and Race Rogers examines “racism and race-mixing in the New World,” while Volume Three of Sex and Race seeks to define the concept of race itself. Like most of his works, all three volumes of Sex and Race are lavishly illustrated.
“Ethiopians, that is, Negroes, gave the world the first idea of right and wrong and thus laid the basis of religion and all true culture and civilization.” –Joel Augustus Rogers
Thanks for including that website. I have enjoyed this author for many years. Below is my favorite from the website.
In 1935, dissatisfied with the reporting of news by the White press concerning the Italian invasion and occupation of Ethiopia, Rogers served as war correspondent in Ethiopia for the Pittsburgh Courier newspaper. After returning to the United States in 1936 he published a highly popular illustrated pamphlet entitled The Real Facts About Ethiopia. In The Real Facts About Ethiopia Rogers wrote that the Ethiopian woman “goes with her husband to war, and often becomes his avenger, should he fall. Usually she is fiercer in battle than the man. Europeans sometimes kill themselves, rather than fall into the hands of the African woman.”
The Spanish people are a lil racist about one year ago in the game of football in Spanish league the stadium was infested by nazis that maked, monkey chants when a black player touched on the ball.
Although I’m an Asian American, I was appalled when I saw this.
What’s more disappointing is the nonchalant attitude of some, passing off these behavior as “fan reaction” doing “just what they can to gain advantage.”
I say it’s quite the opposite: taking the arena of sports to let out some deep-rooted racist undercurrents and tendencies.
I’ve been to Spain, and it was a warm and welcoming country. However, it seems very apparent that there is a covert display of racism that is tolerated enough to be manifested in these unacceptable behaviors, and a very disheartening segment of the population here in America willing to still close their eyes and walk the other way.
If I was Hamilton, I wouldn’t let it bother me… besides, they’re not the one driving the car, he is. He’s the one that gets paid… (now pittied for being taunted boohoo…) People get taunted! That’s just it… whether you’re black, asian, white, whatever… fat… skinny… blah blah blah… It’s always a big deal when it’s about being BLACK? so… Black people always act like they’ve been victimize. Now they’re even compairing him to other great legends… trying to defend his butt… not for nothing, he is a good driver but with all these other drama..GET OVER IT… you’re just playing victim now.. boo hooo..
Oh dear Pamela,. You just don’t understand do you.. BooHoo,.. oh yeah,. will u support your new President……? Even if things get tough,… i will be watching with interest… F1 is riddled with sleaze, corruption and worse,. it needs a complete overhaul and control removed from the English in Paris and passed to a nation known to be more tolerant,. perhaps Nederland…? How many GPs do the Spanish want….? ,.. W.Beattie (France)
The F2 launched the EveryRace Campiagn as a result:
http://www.everyrace.net/
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