Lewis Hamilton receives megaphone from PETA as birthday gift to raise his voice against deadly Iditarod dog race

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have gifted Lewis Hamilton, who celebrated his 38th birthday on Saturday (January 7) with a PETA-blue megaphone.

While the FIA has banned Formula 1 drivers from making political speeches, PETA hope that Hamilton will use the gift to speak loudly against The Iditarod, an annual 1,000-mile sled dog race held in Alaska, United States.

PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk said:

“Lewis Hamilton is a defender of the underdog – and one word from him could be all it takes to persuade F1’s owner, Liberty Media, to stop giving a financial lifeline to this deadly, shameful dog race.”

The FIA recently amended its rules and regulations, which now require F1 drivers to consult with the governing body before making political statements. Part of the new amendment now prohibits:

"The general making and display of political, religious and personal statements or comments notably in violation of the general principal of neutrality promoted by the FIA under its Statutes, unless previously approved in writing by the FIA for International Competitions, or by the relevant ASN for National Competitions within their jurisdiction."

Lewis Hamilton was left unhappy with the FIA's rule change. In an interview with The New York Times, he hoped that this rule would be removed in the future. He said:

"There are still so many barriers still in place. Hopefully, it's not going to be like this for much longer, but it's just sad to see we are still finding those things today."

He added:

"If I don't bring up these difficult conversations, they won't necessarily get discussed or tackled, or energy from organisations won't necessarily be put into creating more inclusivity. Spending the time having those conversations and what it means and how positive it could be for everybody, it takes time. It's a constant job to have them."

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Lewis Hamilton reflects on 2022 F1 season, calls it one of his 'top-three worst seasons'

By their lofty standards, Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes had a hugely underwhelming 2022 Formula 1 season.

The team won only one race, through George Russell at the penultimate Sao Paulo Grand Prix, and finished third in the constructors' championship with 515 points, with Red Bull Racing taking the title with a whopping 759 points.

Hamilton registered neither a race win or a pole position, which is in stark contrast to his domination of the sport over the last few years. Reviewing the recently concluded F1 campaign, he said:

"This year was not the greatest. It is probably up there with the top-three worst seasons. But in terms of how the team stayed united, there have been lots of pluses."

Hamilton is tied with Michael Schumacher (7) for most world titles.