“I am still going to be speaking my mind. We still have this platform, and there are still a lot of things we need to tackle,” Hamilton told ESPN

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Lewis Hamilton has responded to the latest rule F1 implemented for its drivers.

In December, Motor Racing’s governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) added a new rule to its Sporting Code for race events prohibiting drivers from “the general making and display of political, religious and personal statements or comments notably in violation of the general principle of neutrality promoted by the FIA,” ESPN reported at the time.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” Hamilton, 37, told ESPN on Tuesday. The driver continued, “But nothing will stop me from speaking on the things that I’m passionate about, and on issues that there are.”

Hamilton further explained his stance to ESPN, telling the outlet that it’s crucial for the sport to advocate for social justice issues. “The sport does have a responsibility still to speak out, to create awareness on important topics, particularly as we travel to all these different places,” he said, adding, “So nothing changes for me.”

Hamilton noted he thinks “it would be silly to say” that he “would want to get penalty points for speaking out,” but maintained that, “I am still going to be speaking my mind. We still have this platform, and there are still a lot of things we need to tackle.”

After winning the Tuscan Grand Prix in 2020, Hamilton wore a shirt that read “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor” on the front, with an image of Taylor on the back and the words “Say her name.”

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Formula One subsequently changed the rules about what drivers can wear on the podium after races. In an interview with WSJ Magazine, Hamilton took the fairly obvious reaction to his statement in stride: “Well, they’ve changed a lot of rules after a lot of things that I’ve done.”

Hamilton also spoke to WSJ. Magazine about being the lone Black driver to reach the top of Formula One, and the other sports icons that he’s looked to on his journey.

“My dad and I would watch people like Tiger [Woods] who kind of broke the mold, and we watched in admiration. The Williams sisters also did the same,” he said previously. “We’re like, ‘Oh, if we could do something like that, that’s going to help change the industry moving forward.’”