Hamilton wins third Laureus Award for social activism
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has won a third Laureus Award, receiving the new Laureus Athlete Advocate of the Year Award for his activism against inequality.

At the yearly Laureus World Sport Awards, dubbed the Oscars of sport, Hamilton was the first recipient of the new Athlete Advocate of the Year Award, which recognises the Mercedes driver's ongoing efforts to support racial justice and promote diversity.
During the 2020 Formula 1 season, in the wake of the George Floyd murder and race riots in the US, Hamilton led F1's push for racial equality, wearing 'Black Lives Matter' slogans and taking a knee at each Grand Prix, while also setting up the Hamilton Commission aimed at making F1 more diverse.
At the prize ceremony, held digitally from Seville due to the coronavirus pandemic, Hamilton accepted his award in a video message.
"A huge thank you to the Laureus World Sports Academy for presenting me with this incredible award," Hamilton said.
"This past year has been incredibly difficult for so many, but it has also been heartening to see the power of our collective voices spark new conversations and change.
"The impact of each and every one of you who have stood up, is so inspiring, so I want to thank you. Please keep fighting, keep shining your light."
PLUS: Hamilton exclusive - Why being F1's GOAT isn't the goal
The Athlete Advocate of the Year Award is Hamilton's third different Laureus accolade, winning the Breakthrough Award in 2008 after his first F1 world championship with McLaren, and sharing last year's Laureus Sportsman of the year Award with FC Barcelona football icon Lionel Messi.
Hamilton was also nominated in the 2020 Sportsman of the Year category but the main award went to Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who won Roland Garros for a 13th time last year.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1st position, lifts his trophy
Photo by: Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images
Los Angeles Lakers NBA star LeBron James, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and track and field athletes Armand Duplantis and Joshua Cheptegei were the other nominees.
Hamilton's Mercedes F1 team was among the nominees for World Team of the Year, a trophy it won in 2018. Champions League and Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich took home the award.
Last year's Suzuki MotoGP champion Joan Mir was also included in the list of nominations in the World Breakthrough of the Year category but Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback who led the Kansas City Chiefs to the 2020 Super Bowl, got the nod.
Other stars of world sport to receive awards at the Mercedes-backed event include tennis phenom Naomi Osaka, Liverpool FC forward Mohamed Salah, and tennis legend Billie Jean King.

F1 drivers react to 2021 Barcelona track changes
Verstappen: Mercedes still has F1 energy deployment advantage

Latest news
Why WTR Acura lacked pace to beat MSR in Daytona 24 showdown
Filipe Albuquerque admits that he knew it would be a tall order for Wayne Taylor Racing to overcome sister Acura squad Meyer Shank Racing in last weekend's Daytona 24 Hours.
How MSR took Acura to the first win of sportscar racing's new era
After much anticipation, the new dawn for sportscar racing got underway with a result that mirrored last year's IMSA SportsCar Championship's season-opener run to the previous DPi rules. Here's how Acura once again took top honours in the Daytona 24 Hours with a 1-2 led by Meyer Shank Racing, as the new GTP class for LMDh hybrid prototypes made its bow
Alonso's pushy trait a boost for me in 2023 F1 season, says Stroll
Aston Martin Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll says Fernando Alonso's pushy nature will be a boost to both him and the squad this year.
Porsche aims to “learn quick” from Daytona 24 Hours disappointment
Porsche’s director of factory racing Urs Kuratle says his team will gain valuable answers from its disappointing results in the Daytona 24 Hours.
Who were the fastest drivers in F1 2022?
Who was the fastest driver in 2022? Everyone has an opinion, but what does the stopwatch say? Obviously, differing car performance has an effect on ultimate laptime – but it’s the relative speed of each car/driver package that’s fascinating and enlightening says ALEX KALINAUCKAS
Why F1's nearly man is refreshed and ready for his return
He has more starts without a podium than anyone else in Formula 1 world championship history, but Nico Hulkenberg is back for one more shot with Haas. After spending three years on the sidelines, the revitalised German is aiming to prove to his new team what the F1 grid has been missing
The potential-laden F1 car that Ferrari neglected
The late Mauro Forghieri played a key role in Ferrari’s mid-1960s turnaround, says STUART CODLING, and his pretty, intricate 1512 was among the most evocative cars of the 1.5-litre era. But a victim of priorities as Formula 1 was deemed less lucrative than success in sportscars, its true potential was never seen in period
Why Vasseur relishes 'feeling the pressure' as Ferrari's F1 boss
OPINION: Fred Vasseur has spent only a few weeks as team principal for the Ferrari Formula 1 team, but is already intent on taking the Scuderia back to the very top. And despite it being arguably the most demanding job in motorsport, the Frenchman is relishing the challenge
The crucial tech changes F1 teams must adapt to in 2023
Changes to the regulations for season two of Formula 1's ground-effects era aim to smooth out last year’s troubles and shut down loopholes. But what areas have been targeted, and what impact will this have?
Are these the 50 quickest drivers in F1 history?
Who are the quickest drivers in Formula 1 history? LUKE SMITH asked a jury of experienced and international panel of experts and F1 insiders. Some of them have worked closely with F1’s fastest-ever drivers – so who better to vote on our all-time top 50? We’re talking all-out speed here rather than size of trophy cabinet, so the results may surprise you…
One easy way the FIA could instantly improve F1
OPINION: During what is traditionally a very quiet time of year in the Formula 1 news cycle, FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been generating headlines. He’s been commenting on massive topics in a championship that loves them, but also addressing necessary smaller changes too. Here we suggest a further refinement that would be a big boon to fans
How can McLaren keep hold of Norris?
Lando Norris is no longer the young cheeky-chappy at McLaren; he’s now the established ace. And F1's big guns will come calling if the team can’t give him a competitive car. Here's what the team needs to do to retain its prize asset
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.