2023 F1 British GP protestors urge Lewis Hamilton to cut ties with Mercedes' title sponsor

British GP protesters requested Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton to cut ties with the team's title sponsor Petronas and stand alongside them in their Just Stop Oil campaign.

Earlier in the weekend, the seven-time world champion urged protesters to not invade the track while they were racing as it would be a safety hazard. He also mentioned that he supported their cause.

In response to his positive words, the Just Stop Oil protesters asked Lewis Hamilton to remove his association with Malaysian Oil company Petronas. The company has been the title sponsor for the team since their re-entry into the sport in 2010.

According to RacingNews365, they said:

"We welcome Lewis Hamilton’s statement of support for peaceful protest but would like to nonetheless stress that nonviolent direct action involves brave individuals choosing to put their bodies on the line to demand a better future for all."

"We urge Mr. Hamilton to drop Petronas as a sponsor at the earliest opportunity and to demand an immediate end to new fossil fuel licensing in the UK - doing so would allow us to make assurances that we would not disrupt specific events," they added.

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Lewis Hamilton chimes in on McLaren's resurgence at Siverstone

The seven-time world champion stated that he was surprised by McLaren's excellent performance in the qualifying session on Saturday but also took a dig at their 'Red Bull-esque' design.

Speaking with Motorsport.com, Lewis Hamilton said:

“Not surprised. I mean, if you look at the car, it makes sense. I'm really happy for them. They've had such a bad run for so long, so to be back up there is really, really great to see. If you just put it alongside a Red Bull, it looks very, very similar down the sides. It's working. It is great. We now have another team up in the mix, which is what we want to see in this sport.”

“It's not a blow. It's just a wake-up call for us," he added. "Others have overtaken us, and we need to do more. Of course, I'll try and be optimistic and do our best. But realistically, I'm not sure. We will find out. It was difficult to get past two Ferraris and then we've got two McLarens out there. It's going to be a tough race.”

It will be interesting to see if Lewis Hamilton manages any progress in the main race and gets a shot at the podium positions in front of his home fans.