Hamilton praised for using his star status for the greater good

Six-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton has been hailed for using his status as one of Britain's biggest sports stars for what has been termed as "the wider good".

Hamilton has been particularly vocal on his social media accounts in the wake of the death of George Floyd in the United States, while he also condoned the actions of 'Black Lives Matter' protestors who tore down a controversial statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol.

While there will be those who feel it is not Hamilton's place to address such matters, the 35-year-old has previously stated that given his millions of followers on Instagram and Twitter he has the opportunity to lend his weight on key issues such as racism.

Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle, who has long recognised Hamilton's value in promoting the British Grand Prix over the years, feels the Mercedes driver has every right to speak out given his sporting reputation.

"Lewis is a proper legend, a living legend. He's a hero," said Pringle, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"His relationship with Silverstone is fantastic. Of course, he's a member of the British Racing Drivers' Club, so he's got a bit of emotional skin in the game as well.

"The crowd love him, he brings the crowd in, and as a promoter, he's exactly what you want.

"He's the one truly global star and it's no surprise to me at all he's used his global status and his genuinely honest good moral compass to address some of the matters of the moment in the last week or so.

"He's a good man with a good heart and a sense of what is right in the world. Not only is he one of the greatest sportsmen this country has ever produced, but he's now using that platform for the wider good. I have nothing but admiration for Lewis Hamilton."

Hamilton returns to the Silverstone track on Wednesday as Mercedes completes a two-day protocol test.

Using the 2018 W09, the test is designed to not only reintroduce the drivers to driving again - Valtteri Bottas was in action on Tuesday - but also the race team to understanding, and working to, the new procedures in place given the Covid-19 crisis.

Pringle has confirmed Hamilton has been staying on-site in his personal motorhome, adding: "I use the term motorhome in the broadest sense.

"It's the most fantastic articulated lorry, double-storied with double slide outs. I've never been invited in but it looks simply palatial. It looks bigger than my house."

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