F1 champion Lewis Hamilton slams 'disgusting' racist abuse of England footballers

Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton on Monday condemned the racial attacks on English footballers after their side's loss in Euros 2020 final, terming it as "unacceptable."

Italy lifted the European Championship trophy for the second time after winning it first on home soil in 1968. Hamilton, who has been very vocal against racism, said that the abuse suffered by the England trio showed how much still needed to be done in the fight against racism.

England lost 3-2 on penalties to Italy after Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and Bukayo Saka failed to score from the spot. Soon after the loss, the trio faced racial abuse on social media

"So much was running through my mind as a watched the final moments of the match last night. On one hand, I was so proud of how far we have come ...to be in the final and with such a diverse team is a huge achievement we should all be proud of but as the players stepped up to take the penalties I was worried.

The pressure to deliver is felt by every sportsperson but when you are a minority representing your country this is a layered experience. Success would feel like a double victory, but a miss feels like a two-fold failure when it's compounded with racist abuse," Hamilton wrote in a lengthy social media post.

"I so badly wanted that win like all of you but for me, it was for much more than winning the euros, it was a much bigger picture. However, the disgusting behaviour by the few shows how much work that still needs to be done.

I hope that this opens a conversation around acceptance. We must work towards a society that doesn't require Black players to prove their value or place in society only through victory. Ultimately everyone on the England team should be so proud of their achievement and how they represented us," the seven-time F1 champion further added.

Earlier on Monday, England head coach Gareth Southgate said the racist abuse that Sancho, Saka, and Rashford have received was "unforgivable", while UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Football Association have also condemned it.

The Metropolitan Police is investigating the abuse and said "it will not be tolerated." The UK Football Policing Unit (UKFPU) has also started an investigation, according to BBC Sport.

Manchester United forward Rashford took to social media on Tuesday to respond to the racial abuse, while he also apologised to his fans for missing the penalty shot. He also added that he will never apologise for "who I am and where I came from."

"I felt as if I'd let everyone down," Rashford wrote in a statement.

"I can take critique of my performance all day long, my penalty was not good enough, it should have gone in but I will never apologise for who I am and where I came from. I've felt no prouder moment than wearing those three lions on my chest and seeing my family cheer me on in a crowd of tens of thousands," the 23-year-old added.

Meanwhile, Twitter said it had removed more than 1,000 tweets and suspended a number of accounts permanently following the "abhorrent" abuse directed at the England players, while Facebook said it had also removed abusive comments and accounts.