Lewis Hamilton has shown his support for Vinicius Jr after the Real Madrid star accused Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni of racist abuse in last night’s Champions League clash.
Madrid’s win in Lisbon, courtesy of a stunning goal from Vinicius, was overshadowed following an altercation after the Brazilian’s goal, in which Prestianni is accused of directing a racist remark to Vinicius, who then told the referee.
The match was paused for 10 minutes as Uefa followed their three-step racism protocol, before the match concluded in a hostile atmosphere. Argentina international Prestianni, 20, has denied directing racist abuse at Vinicius, saying: “I want to clarify that at no time did I direct racist insults to Vini Jr, who regrettably misunderstood what he thought he heard.”
Vinicius, 25, stated on Instagram afterwards that “racists are, above all, cowards”, with teammate Trent Alexander-Arnold calling the incident “a disgrace to football”. Amazon Prime pundit Clarence Seedorf also condemned comments from Benfica boss Jose Mourinho, who appeared to suggest Vinicius had incited the crowd before the alleged abuse.
Now Hamilton, 41, who also voiced his support for Vinicius after an incident in 2023, has publicised his backing, saying on Instagram: “We’re with you, Vini Jr.”
Ferrari driver Hamilton, who became F1’s first black driver when he joined the sport in 2007 and is also an honorary Brazilian citizen, previously described abuse directed at Vinicius as “devastating”, after the Brazil international was subject to racist chants in a LaLiga game in Valencia in 2023.
“There is no room for discrimination in society today,” Hamilton said, back in 2023. “Sports need to do more; we all need to continue to do more. If we see it, hear it – we need to do something about it."
“It really hits home for me. It really brings up emotions, things that I experienced – whether it was back in the UK, or whether it was when I was racing in Italy, or France, or Spain. It can be so hurtful the things that people say.
“I think it’s amazing what so many of these [athletes] that are experiencing that on the pitch are doing in terms of standing tall and standing strong. Continuing to be humble in their approach, not being reactive but being responsible when moving forward because they know lots of young kids are watching.”
Uefa, European football’s governing body, say they are reviewing Tuesday night’s incident.
