‘We’re with you’: Lewis Hamilton shows support for Vinicius Jr after alleged racist abuse

Hamilton, F1’s first black driver, also voiced his support for Real Madrid’s Vinicius after an incident in 2023 F1‘We’re with you’: Lewis Hamilton shows support for Vinicius Jr after alleged racist abuseHamilton, F1’s first black driver, also voiced his support for Real Madrid’s Vinicius after an incident in 2023Kieran Jackson Formula 1 Correspondent Wednesday 18 February 2026 11:53 GMTBookmarkBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverThierry Henry says he can relate to Vinícius Jr after Real Madrid match haltedYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreLewis 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.” open image in galleryGianluca Prestianni (right) hides his mouth while arguing with Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior (left) (AFP/Getty)Vinicius 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 provoked the abuse. Now Hamilton, 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.” RecommendedIgnore Mourinho’s disgraceful response – on Vinicius Jr’s racism allegations, only one thing needs to be said‘A disgrace to football’: Vinicius Jr reports racist abuse as Real Madrid match haltedKylian Mbappe says he heard Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni racially abuse Vinicius Jr in Champions League play-offFerrari 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."open image in galleryLewis Hamilton has shown his support for Vinicius Jr. (Instagram - lewishamilton)"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.More aboutLewis HamiltonVinicius JrReal MadridBenficaMost popularPopular videosBulletinRead next