–
Lewis Hamilton still waiting for a second black driver in Formula 1. The seven-time world champion does not understand that the road to the premier class is still so difficult for people other than white drivers.
Hamilton was the first black driver to enter Formula 1 and the Briton is now a major champion of equal rights in motorsport. Since his entrance in 2007, no fewer than 56 new drivers have entered the premier class, but none of them were dark. Hamilton’s long wait has still not come to an end and despite much activist work by the number two in the world championship, he is still the only black Formula 1 driver ever.
–
Tiger Woods and Williams-sisters
Mercedes on recent engine changes: “That will pay off”read more
Hamilton hoped early in his career to make a difference in the sport for his people. “My dad and I looked at people like Tiger Woods in golf and the Williams sisters in tennis. They broke the ice. We were like, ‘If we can do something like this in motorsport, it’s going to make a big difference. in our industry,” said Hamilton in a major interview with Wall Street Journal.
Frustrations in 2019
So far, little has come of those beautiful thoughts. Hamilton overtook the realization just after he had won his sixth world title in 2019. “I zoomed in on the photos on Instagram, where my team was cheering. I’ve been around here for fourteen, fifteen years. How has nothing changed yet? I was very sad about it. Frustrated and sad,” she says. Hamilton on the lack of black men within his team and the sport.
Initiatives
Meanwhile, Hamilton has launched numerous initiatives to achieve more inclusiveness in Formula 1, for example he set up ‘Mission 44’ in the summer, he has ensured that at least 25 percent of all new Mercedesemployees is a minority and the livery of his car was blackened. “I think that without my initiatives little would have changed. I am now 36 years old. I still wonder: why me? Why am I the only black driver who made it to Formula 1 and can participate in the front? be a bigger picture,” he concludes.
– .