Lewis Hamilton has urged people who supported the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement for racial equality to “keep pushing” for “true change”.

The seven-time F1 champion asked his social media followers “what’s next?” and said “inequities within our sport and within the world persist”.

Hamilton has been one of the UK’s most high-profile supporters of the BLM movement and led the call for Formula One drivers to take the knee before races last year.

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“Change is still needed. We must keep pushing to hold ourselves and others accountable,” said the Stevenage-born star.

“We have to keep striving for equality for all, in order to continue to see true change and lasting change in our world.”

The 36-year-old was knighted in the New Year’s Honours and alongside Mercedes is setting up a charitable foundation to improve diversity in motorsport.

He also launched the Hamilton Commission last year to investigate the barriers to those from underrepresented backgrounds entering motorsport.

In his Twitter and Instagram posts, Hamilton said he would continue to fight for change “as long as I have air in my lungs” and showed a picture of himself at BLM protests last year.

Hamilton said he would keep pushing for opportunities for “kids of colour, within sciences, engineering and creative disciplines”.

F1 has said it will continue to allow drivers the time before races to highlight key messages with the sport, reinforcing its We Race As One campaign this year.

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In football, taking the knee still has strong backing but a few black players such as Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha and Brentford’s Ivan Toney have said they will no longer take part.

Zaha said he felt it was “degrading” and suggested players “stand tall” in their fight against racism, while Toney said he felt players were being “used as puppets” so the “people at the top can rest for a while”.

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