General
Hamilton launches commission to make motorsport more diverse
- GPblog.com
Lewis Hamilton has mainly spoken out on social media about racism in recent weeks and, by extension, a lack of diversity in Formula 1. Now he is launching a platform to actually do something about it.
Together with the Royal Academy of Engineering he starts 'The Hamilton Commission', which aims to get more people with a technical background involved in racing. In the Sunday Times he explains how his own experience encouraged him to do so.
"I have dealt with racism throughout my career. From kids throwing things at me in karting to fans taunting me with blackface at one of my first F1 races in 2007. I'm used to being one of the few people of colour on the team and no one speaks out against racism because they don't understand it themselves".
A few success stories are no longer enough
Hamilton continues that pointing to his own success is not a good example of progress, nor is the single black worker enough. Thousands of people are employed throughout the sport and, according to Hamilton, they should be a better representation of society.
"The time for symbolic gestures is over. I hope that the Hamilton Commission will make real, tangible and measurable changes possible. Looking back 20 years from now, I want to see the sport that gave a shy black boy from a working-class family Stevenage so many opportunities become as diverse as the complex and multicultural world we live in".