Formula 1 record world champion Lewis Hamilton criticized the legal situation in Florida before the race in Miami. “It’s not good at all,” said the Briton, who drives for Mercedes, on Thursday when asked about the government’s recent measures restricting the rights and freedoms of the LGBTQ community in the US state.

“I’ll wear the rainbow on my helmet. It’s no different than when we were in Saudi Arabia.” The English abbreviation LGBTQI stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans people, queer and intersex people.

In Florida, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation in late March banning public school teachers from speaking to their classes about sexual orientation or gender identities. “I stand behind the community here and I hope they continue to stand up and fight back,” Hamilton said. Hamilton, 38, has a history of campaigning for the rights of the LGBTQ community and capitalizing on his enormous public reach.

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