F1 will not join Hamilton in boycotting social media this weekend

F1 will not follow the lead of other sports and its driver Lewis Hamilton and partake in a social media boycott this weekend, GPFans Global has learned.

In response to the growing and seemingly unregulated racial abuse of its players, English football clubs are to avoid all social media platforms from a period of 3pm on Friday through to midnight on Monday.

They have since been supported by the English cricket board, Premiership Rugby and the Lawn Tennis Association, while seven-time F1 champion Hamilton has also pledged to join in the action, along with Sky Sports.

Whilst F1 fully understands the actions of other sports, it feels it has no need to join the growing boycott.

An F1 spokesperson told GPFans Global: "F1 is wholly committed to combatting any form of discrimination, online or otherwise.

"We support the actions of the Premier League and other sporting bodies and athletes in highlighting that more must be done to eradicate online abuse that they are receiving directly.

"However, we continue to work with all platforms and our own audiences to promote respect and positive values and put a stop to racism."

Although Hamilton has confirmed to being abused online in the past, it is understood the feeling inside F1 is that it would be disingenuous to join in with the other sporting organisations as it is not experiencing online racial issues of its own.

The concern is if F1 did follow suit then it would suggest there is an abuse issue on its social media platforms when that is far from the case.