PETA activists confronted Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff during an interview at the Forbes Iconoclast Summit.
PETA is a nonprofit organization that speaks out against the mistreatment of animals. They are strongly opposed to the Iditarod dog race, an Alaskan event that covers approximately 1000 miles.
Dogs compete in a yearly race in the freezing cold, which explains why PETA opposes the event. Though the time frame wasn’t specified, over 150 dogs reportedly perished as a result of the incident, according to the organization.
The well-known dog race is sponsored by GCI, an organization with ties to Liberty Media, which owns Formula One.
PETA pushed Liberty Media to cut off links with GCI earlier this year by sending F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali a letter and a “dead dog.” Later, Hamilton’s interview at the Forbes Summit was interrupted by PETA activists as part of their ongoing protest.
The seven-time world champion enjoys spending time with dogs and is frequently spotted with his beloved Roscoe. Hamilton was singled out by PETA due to his widespread popularity and opinions on current events.
The video below shows the incident.
“Formula 1 athletes choose to compete, but no dog chooses to run four marathons a day for up to two weeks through snow, ice, and harsh winds, the ‘reward’ for many being death,” PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman said.
“Lewis Hamilton can be a powerful advocate for these dogs, who desperately need his voice, and PETA is urging him to demand an end to GCI’s harmful sponsorship.”
This is not the first time PETA activists have confronted the Formula 1 community. They staged their campaign at the Monaco Grand Prix 2023. Wearing dog masks, activists stood among the crowds of fans during the qualifying race and unfurled a large banner that read “F1 Owner Sponsors Iditarod Dog Death Race”.
