Sir Lewis Hamilton is a Formula One driver for Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, born in Stevenage, and has become a huge inspiration to the youth of today, as he has put in tireless effort to ensure young kids get the right opportunities, no matter their background.
He equalled the great Michael Schumacher’s record after the Turkish Grand Prix in 2020. After starting sixth on the grid, it looked unlikely that it would be the race that would clinch his equalling title, especially in the treacherous conditions. But the man from Stevenage drove superbly and dedicated his win to the next generation of youth: “That’s for all the kids out there who dream the impossible. You can do it too man! I believe in you guys!” (Formula One, 2020).
Hamilton suffered with being discriminated even before he became famous. “I mean, school was the probably the most traumatising part of my life, I already was being bullied at the age of six”. (Shetty, 2023). However, he did not let this get in his way to becoming the very successful athlete that he is today and strives to make sure that the same thing does not affect young children now, and if anyone is suffering similar things as he did, that they can push through and achieve their dreams. Hamilton said: “Meeting kids at schools, having these conversations with families and parents who clearly are going through difficult times and want to create the best opportunity for their kids. It’s like, ‘OK, I’ve been there and look where I got so you can get there’. (Wright, 2023) ₁.
Throughout his Formula One career, Lewis Hamilton has always spoke out on the issues of discrimination and diversity, especially within his sport. “When I was younger, I didn’t have anybody in the sport that looked like me, so it was easy to think that it was not a possibility. You don’t see any black people on TV in F1 one so hopefully this sends a message to the kids that are watching.” (Richards, 2020). Therefore, he decided to take matters into his own hands, and with help, he created Mission 44. An organisation built to support young people from underserved backgrounds, to give less fortunate kids a chance to succeed. “As the only Black, working-class person in his field, Lewis understands that addressing inequalities in education and employment are the necessary first steps towards building a fairer society.” (Mission 44, 2022).
Lewis even began to challenge his own team, tackling diversity amongst the roles, whether it was gender or race. He was adamant to make change possible. “As a result, Lewis formed The Hamilton Commission, alongside The Royal Academy of Engineering, which presented an opportunity to simultaneously address the underrepresentation of Black people in UK motorsport, as well as the STEM sector.” (Hamilton Commission, 2021). He stated that helping those children in need, felt better than even winning a race, showing his upmost desire to create the greatest opportunities for those who idolise him, and share a similar background to him. “I want to create the best opportunity for their kids. For me, that’s way more rewarding than winning the race, so much more.” (Wright, 2023) ₂.
The seven-time world champion has also used his platform to raise awareness for the LGBTQ+ community, whether that is through his rainbow helmet designs, messages across his social media platforms or even t-shirt designs that he has personally worn. In November 2020, it was announced that Formula One would be travelling to Saudi Arabia in the 2021 season. Saudi Arabia is known for having controversial laws, such as a lack of human rights, especially for the LGBTQ+ community. During the weekend of the grand prix, Lewis made it clear of his opinions of the country and how changes must be made imminently. "Ultimately it's the responsibility of those in power to really make changes, and we're not really seeing any. So we need to see more." (Morlidge, 2022). He wanted to make it clear that the decision was not made by the drivers to race in Saudi Arabia, standing up for any group receiving hate, showing why he is a true role model and inspiration for the youth of today. Hamilton, who said when F1 raced in the country for the first-time last November that he was "not comfortable", stressed that it was not up to the drivers to choose where to race but called for more changes. (Morlidge, 2022).
References:
Formula One (2020) MUST-SEE: ‘That’s for all the kids who dream the impossible’ – the moment Hamilton sealed his 7th title Available at: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.must-see-thats-for-all-the-kids-who-dream-the-impossible-the-moment-hamilton.UM0CWpMepPSRs00YMwdiu.html (Accessed: 6th April 2023).
Hamilton Commission (2021) The Hamilton Commission into improving representation of Black people in UK motorsport Available at: https://www.hamiltoncommission.org (Accessed: 6th April 2023).
Mission 44 (2022) About Available at: https://www.mission44.org/about (Accessed: 6th April 2023).
Morlidge, M. (2022) Lewis Hamilton calls for changes in Saudi Arabia as Formula 1 heads to country for second race Available at: https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/30778/12574782/lewis-hamilton-calls-for-changes-in-saudi-arabia-as-formula-1-heads-to-country-for-second-race (Accessed: 4th May 2023).
Richards, G (2020) 'Hopefully this sends a message to kids'. Lewis Hamilton wants F1 feats to inspire Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/nov/15/lewis-hamilton-hopes-his-f1-success-can-be-inspiration-to-children (Accessed: 6th April 2023).
Shetty, J (2023) Lewis Hamilton ON: Why You Should Stop Chasing Society's Definition of Success & How to Be More Intentional With Your Goals [Podcast] 23 January. Available at: https://omny.fm/shows/on-purpose-with/lewis-hamilton-on-why-you-should-stop-chasing-soci#description (Accessed: 6th April 2023).
Wright, A (2023) ₁ Lewis Hamilton, F1 greatness inspired by school racists Available at: https://www.total-motorsport.com/lewis-hamilton-f1-greatness-inspired-by-school-racists/ (Accessed: 6th April 2023).
Wright, A (2023) ₂ Lewis Hamilton, F1 greatness inspired by school racists Available at: https://www.total-motorsport.com/lewis-hamilton-f1-greatness-inspired-by-school-racists/ (Accessed: 6th April 2023).
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