Picture Credit: Twitter
Some PETA representatives bombarded Lewis Hamilton at an event with awkward questions regarding the Iditarod race, which receives funding from the seven-time world champion.
During a recent Forbes summit with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Team Principal Toto Wolff in attendance, a protester persuaded him to speak out for himself, capitalising on Hamiton's affection for his pet dog Roscoe to approach the driver. While Hamilton's silence can be seen in the now-viral footage, he sincerely answered the protesters' requests with respect while maintaining his composure.
In the video, the PETA representatives tried their best to make sure that Hamilton got the message before they were asked to leave the venue by the organizers.
This PETA campaign against the Mercedes racer is not new. Hamilton has previously received criticism from PETA on its website and in social media posts. Hamilton, who was once PETA U.K.'s Person of the Year, felt threatened by a letter from the group. It read, "Please don't continue to stand idly by as animals continue to suffer or your silence will be considered as complicity. Dogs just as priceless as your Roscoe might be saved with a word from you. On his birthday, Hamilton was also a target since PETA gave him a "gift" to support their cause.
The Iditarod is an extraordinary 1000-mile race held in Alaska. In the race, dogs pull sleds across the snow and frequently lose their lives due to the severe conditions prevalent during the play. Inhaling their own vomit is the leading cause of death for dogs competing in the Iditarod, and the race's official death toll leaves out countless other animals who perished for no other reason than that they were too slow, or who passed away during the off-season while chained next to decaying boxes or plastic barrels in the freezing cold.
The British racer is currently ranked fourth in the F1 Driver’s Championship with two podium finishes in the season. Mercedes is doing certainly well in the season as they are placed second, just below Red Bull with 152 points.
