Lewis Hamilton has urged people to reduce their social interactions to reduce the impact of the pandemic, describing those who continue to mix with groups of others as “selfish”.
Many countries are advising people to practice ‘social distancing’ by keeping away from other people where possible. However some people are continuing to go about their lives as normal.According to the World Health Organization almost 13,000 deaths worldwide have resulted from the pandemic’s spread.
“I’m so sad to hear of the amount of deaths happening around the world,” Hamilton wrote in a social media post.
“I know most of us are limited with the knowledge of why and how this has happened.
“There is nothing we can do about it either way except try to isolate ourselves, stop ourselves from catching it and spreading it. There are people out there still going to clubs and bars and large gatherings which I personally feel is totally irresponsible and selfish.
“I’m praying for my [family’s] safety each day but I’m also praying for you out there. I’m praying for those working at the local stores, delivers, doctors and nurses who put their own health at risk to help others and keep the countries running. Those are the [heroes]. Please stay safe people.”
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Hamilton, who said two days ago he was symptom-free, was strongly critical of F1’s attempt to hold its season-opening race in Australia two weeks ago.
The first seven races of this year’s championship have been postponed or cancelled. With growing numbers of people worldwide being forced to halt their work and social lives, Hamilton advised his millions of followers to take advantage of the opportunity for self-reflection.
“If you can, try and take this time to assess your life and situation and how you might want to change things for the better moving forwards,” he wrote.
“Hopefully through this people will realise even more how health is priceless, how you treat yourself and what you put in your body is so important and also hygiene. We take this life for granted. I hope we don’t moving forwards.”
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2020 F1 season
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- Bottas vs Rosberg: Hamilton’s Mercedes team mates compared after 78 races each
- F1 revenues fell by $877 million in Covid-struck 2020 season
- Hamilton and Mercedes finally announce new deal for 2021 season
- F1 audience figures “strong” in 2020 despite dip in television viewers
bukester (@bukester)
23rd March 2020, 7:48
The guy who travels the world needlessly on a private jet and dodges taxes in his home country
Sham (@sham)
23rd March 2020, 7:55
First, he sold his jet years ago. And anyone who could would also minimise their tax bill.
Secondly, since he’s self isolating, what the hell has your comment got to do with the article?
GimmeShelter
23rd March 2020, 10:44
He’s not only the best current F1 driver, Hamilton is a leader with an excellent social conscience. I like the guy more all the time. He simply towers over the other drivers in so many ways.
Invisiblekid (@invisiblekid)
23rd March 2020, 10:34
Ooooh the hate lol.
He’s self isolating,
He hasn’t taken a test so the test can be used for those on the front line of all this.
Even if he was flying around in his private jet it’ll just be him on the plane and not 100’s on a normal plane
He’s pleading to those 1000’s of morons to stop climbing Snowdonia when they are standing on top of each other.
Yeah what a total git.
BasCB (@bascb)
23rd March 2020, 10:38
Wouldn’t you say that this is even stronger of a statement, coming from a guy who is used to blitz around the planet, meet thousands of people at races, fan events, sponsor meetings as well as in his social life, since Hamilton has cut all of that out for now because he understands it is necissary @bukester
rushfan
23rd March 2020, 10:57
(@bukester)
You must be furious with all of LH’s success, what a burden for you during this period of Lewis’ dominance.
Try to let it go dude, you’ll be happier in the long run.
DonSmee (@david-beau)
23rd March 2020, 10:59
Shame on you.
anon
23rd March 2020, 18:02
@bukester as others have noted, why do you seem to be intent on demonising somebody for encouraging others to heed the advice given by medical experts at a time when those medical experts are desperately trying to get people to listen to their advice and not congregate in large groups?
The attitude also seems rather childish given that you evidently seem to have no qualms with your personal favourite driver, Kimi, also being somebody “who travels the world needlessly on a private jet and dodges taxes in his home country” – yet such behaviour does not seem to trouble you when it involves your favourite driver.
Islander
23rd March 2020, 8:06
He’s right, but please, let’s leave advice on the pandemic to people qualified to give it:
medics / governments, not racing drivers.
James
23rd March 2020, 8:09
Does that include Musician, footballers, or etc… as well.
Islander
23rd March 2020, 9:41
Yes, folks who need a vehicle for publicising themselves should avoid this very serious issue of the pandemic. It’s unseemly to be glib when everyone in the world may be affected.
KGN11
23rd March 2020, 10:18
So you think because he’s a well known person that he’s somehow immune to what’s happening right now?
Ok, if that’s what you think, then explain how the likes of Idris Alba, his wife, Tom Hanks, Sophie Trudeau got infected?
The idea that just because someone is famous and has wealth, means they should refrain from things that’s only going to affect us poor commoners, is just ridiculous.
He has bigger platform than the doctors out there on the front line, so it’s only fair that he uses the opportunity to get the message out there. So why are you annoyed that he’s doing so? We’re you annoyed when he donated £500,000 to help the Australian Bush fires and used his platform to encourage others to make donations?
I honestly can’t understand people who are quick to vilify and tell those in better life positions than others to but out, when their concern is truly genuine. Just because we somehow think they’re not genuine with their concerns.
DrG
23rd March 2020, 10:30
I have no idea what your issue with LH is?
What I do know is you take absolutely every opportunity given to take a pop at him.
This however just takes the cake.
It is ridiculous that you find his request to an audience of many millions to do exactly what all Medical professionals have advised ‘a vehicle for publicity’ and ‘glib’ Absolutely ridiculous. I am in the at risk group. Hamilton has acted completely professionally through out this season start. Others not so much.
You in fact would seem to be a major part of the problem this world is facing.
Get off your high horse and start doing something constructive
Selbbin (@selbbin)
23rd March 2020, 8:53
Such weird comments here.
He’s repeating the advice of the experts. And why not? He has a public forum to do it with.
Jeffrey (@jeffreyj)
25th March 2020, 10:15
@selbbin Because he is a guy with a high school diploma at most (if that). He isn’t an authority on anything but racing. Outside of driving a racecar, he’s basically just a social influencer like any random person with a youtube channel.
Now, I agree repeating the advice of experts is fine, but his lack of expertise on anything but racing a car makes anything he says outside of how to race a car, effectively irrelevant and potentially dangerous.
Akin Aslan (@hamfanatic)
23rd March 2020, 9:09
That’s such a weird opinion you have here. He is repeating exactly that what the experts are saying, and as it is known there are a lot of people who do not follow them. So I don’t get your point. It is important that humans who have a fanbase, and can reach out to masses of people, actually do reach out to them.
Invisiblekid (@invisiblekid)
23rd March 2020, 10:44
Oh puhlease. He’s basically asking people to listen to the experts. Clearly they are not. So anyone and I simply don’t care who, if they are repeating the experts words in the hope that they will listen and comply I have have no issue.
Idiots that hang on every post their “hero” does in Instpants or whatever, then one that actually asks people to stay indoors might, just might be listened to.
ANYWAY the message is conveyed is a good way.
Jake
23rd March 2020, 16:08
So he’s right, and repeating what the experts are saying, but he shouldn’t say it? That makes no sense. Sure, he doesn’t have authority on COVID-19, but he’s reiterating the things the people who do have authority on it are saying. Anything to criticize Lewis, I guess…
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
23rd March 2020, 8:08
Ham is free to have an opinion and so are we. He is kind of trying to force other people but I’d say it is better to avoid socializing than to have your loved ones stabbed(news)
A lot of “stars” seem to have been infected. As infected yet asymptomatic juventus footballer Matuidi put it, some people are blessed to have the ability to know if they are ill or not, blessed to have great medical care.
Like Arteta, the 1st premier league case, 10 days ago. He says he is fine and that it took him “3 or 4” days to feel better.
This new disease really does look to differ a lot from what usually happens every year. I think there is only one solution for mankind, mars!
James
23rd March 2020, 8:20
I love how the media try and make Hamilton the victim here his actual opinion came actually from his Instagram Story those who follow him he was advising fans just to be careful is there anything wrong with him giving an opinion and advising fans if he cares about other people he gets slated, if he didn’t care about other people he would have still been slated. For those who are saying we would rather want to here from experts yes I understand that but a lot of celebrities are concerned about their own fans. It’s not everything you have to criticise Hamilton for give the lad a break.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
23rd March 2020, 8:29
I wrote the article and I have no interest in ‘making Hamilton the victim’. What led you to this conclusion?
DrG
23rd March 2020, 10:38
Well said Keith.
Is it me or are a lot of people commenting here while lubricated?
I simply cannot fathom how reaching out to millions and requesting they stay safe is somehow ‘bad’
You furthered the reaching out and good on you.
Invisiblekid (@invisiblekid)
23rd March 2020, 10:53
Yeah lets leave all the messages to politicians, because all the of people listen to the politicians don’t they??!
Honestly I cannot fathom how a famous celeb telling his followers to stay indoors is a bad thing. Did these people not see the news about where people were over the weekend? Hint. IT WASN’T STAYING INDOORS 2M APART!!
kenji
23rd March 2020, 8:29
What amazes me are the outpourings from these s, called ‘stars’. The status accorded these people is basically a marketing construct and they really are just very very ordinary people some of whom have an individual talent that’s above the ordinary, in their chosen field..just like a lot of other people. As for the ‘why and how’ i think that the general scientific/medical consensus has pretty much nailed it down to Chinese interaction with questionable health and dietary activities associated with the bat/pangolin species. Until further investigations prove otherwise then i’ll happily stick with that.
Jere (@jerejj)
23rd March 2020, 12:44
”However, some people are continuing to go about their lives as normal.”
– I belong to this group to an extent, although I also try to be careful with stuff around me. Thoroughly avoiding to even go outside in spare time would be unnecessary.
Jorge Lardone (@jorge-lardone)
23rd March 2020, 15:46
Hamilton continues to set an example of how to deal with this emergency.
His words are sensible and welcome since he is a well-known person with many followers around the world.
It is unfortunate to see how other people and journalists who are really insignificant and have no influence take advantage of any opportunity to publicly vilify him on social networks.
Jake
23rd March 2020, 16:21
I don’t get why people are trying to give Lewis flak for this. He’s clearly paid attention to what the experts are saying and is simply reiterating it. He has a large platform, and is using it to spread good advice (at least in this instance), so what’s the problem here? Or are people just looking for an excuse to bash him again?
If you do want to criticize a celebrity for their views on the COVID-19 pandemic, go look up Vanessa Hudgens. Now SHE is an out of touch idiot.
And to @peartree, your second point basically shows why sports are called off right now. We’ve got healthy young athletes traveling all over the place. Since COVID-19 doesn’t seem to have much effect on the young and healthy (thankfully), even asymptomatic people could be infected, we just can’t tell. The last thing we need is to run the risk of these people contracting the virus and spreading it like wildfire prior to showing symptoms (remember, they are still going out in public and interacting with other people). With such a long incubation period, waiting for symptoms to appear before quarantining/self isolating doesn’t do much good.
Xcm
23rd March 2020, 17:15
“The six-times world champion’s condition had been the subject of widespread speculation after two people he met in London two weeks ago revealed they had tested positive for the virus. He met Sophie Trudeau, wife of Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, and actor Idris Elba on March 4th.”
You mean like the guy meeting with actors and prime ministers of other countries? If someone accidentally exposed himself buying groceries, I would have more sympathy than someone socializing with movie stars.
I love ya Lewis, but sometimes you are insufferable.
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
23rd March 2020, 23:55
To be fair, back on March the 4th, this thing hadnt blow up as it has in Europe or North America…so, cant really blame the fella.