Darren Bent has praised Lewis Hamilton for battling his critics and pioneering equality and the Black Lives Matter message in Formula One.

The six-time F1 world champion may not have won on his return to the track over the weekend, but there was a victory for the Brit as the predominantly white sport proclaimed its support of racial equality.

Hamilton, who has been vocal in his support of the Black Lives Matter movement, was among 14 drivers to take a knee before Sunday’s Austrian Grand Prix – the delayed first race of the 2020 season which was won by Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas.

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Although six drivers decided not to take the knee, all wore ‘End Racism’ or ‘Black Lives Matter’ T-shirts, while Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc – two of the six to stay standing – insisted they are committed to the fight with statements on social media.

Hamilton – who raced in a blacked out Mercedes – did not criticise his follow competitors who didn’t join in the gesture, explaining that ‘nobody should be forced’ and that he ‘never requested or demanded’ anyone should take a knee.

But, having been outspoken following the death of George Floyd in police custody in the United States, Hamilton insisted he is committed to continue leading from the front to ensure the fight against racism does not ‘die a silent death’.

And former Premier League striker Bent says the Brit deserves praise for continuing to push the message despite the incredible abuse he faces online.

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Today was an important moment for me and all the people out there who are working for and hoping for change. For a more equal and just society. I may get criticism in the media and elsewhere, but this fight is about equality, not politics or promotion. To me it was an emotional and poignant chapter in the progress of making F1 a more diverse and inclusive sport. I want a better future for our generation and the ones after us. There is so much that needs to be done. No one is perfect but if we all chip in and do our part, we can see change. I truly believe that. Thank you to my team for their incredible support and hard work this weekend and thank you to all who supported. Let’s keep pushing, guys. See you next week. Love. #EndRacism #BlackLivesMatter

A post shared by Lewis Hamilton (@lewishamilton) on Jul 5, 2020 at 12:59pm PDT

Speaking on Monday’s talkSPORT Breakfast, Bent said said: “Lewis Hamilton has been doing so much for that sport to try and open people’s eyes.

“It was a bit strange to not to see everyone kneeling, it shows there’s still a little bit of a divide there.

“I know some of them will say kneeling means something different in their countries… but it’s a step in the right direction for that sport.

“Hamilton has come under fire, by the way, the criticism and stick he’s taken especially during this whole Black Lives Matter movement…

“If you look at some of the comments he gets on a daily basis on Twitter, for someone who is an absolute pioneer in his sport, winning six world titles, and for him to get the kind of stick he does, it’s totally uncalled for, it’s totally unjustified.

“And even so, he’s still doing all he can to try and take this forward.”

Hamilton has also revealed he was ‘silenced and told to back down’ after planning to make a gesture in support of former NFL player Colin Kaepernick before the 2017 US Grand Prix.

Kaepernick made the headlines in the States when he sat down and later knelt during the national anthem ahead of a San Francisco 49ers game, in a protest against racial inequality.

The quarterback’s actions polarised opinion in the US, and he was released by the 49ers at the end of the 2016 season and has not played in the sport since.

Hamilton has said he had planned a similar gesture in support of Kaepernick and the equality message, complete with having a custom helmet made featuring the quarterback’s team colours and number, and regrets not following through with it after warnings from F1 chiefs.

But Bent can understand why, saying it could have ‘been the end of him’ in the sport.

“It’s a lot easier now to do these protests, to do these things that are hopefully going to make a difference,” added the former footballer.

“Back then when it first happened to Kaepernick and the way people were outraged by it, it was on every sports network in America , it was all over the place.

“Lewis Hamilton has said he wishes he had done it back then, but I can fully understand why he wouldn’t have done it.

“The criticism he gets now is bad, but if he had been done for taking a knee back then too, that might have been the end of him.”

Listen to a clip of Darren Bent on the talkSPORT Breakfast above

Source: TalkSport.com Motorsport