Five-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has defended his use of social media to raise awareness about global environmental issues.
Hamilton sparked worldwide fears when he wrote a message on Instagram saying he considered “giving up on everything.”
He quickly deleted the message, but some supporters labelled him a hypocrite for driving petrol cars and jetting around the world for his job.
"It's not easy as we're travelling the world and our carbon footprint is higher than the average homeowner who lives in one city," said Hamilton. "That doesn't mean you should be afraid to speak out for positive change."
Fernando Alonso has told Hamilton to keep his eating habits to himself.
Hamilton rejected the criticism and said:
"It is something over time I have become more and more aware of. It is not a quick fix. It takes time to understand the implications. I would feel I wasn't doing anything positive if I didn't mention it. It's important to be able to be open and not hold things in. I'm always very open and transparent with my feelings, whether people like it or not."