Hamilton says he made a mistake with slum comments
LONDON: Five-time Formula One world champion L ew i s H ami l t o n h a s apologised to residents of hi s boyhood home t own Stevenage for suggesting he grew up in a slum.
The Briton, his country’s most successful racing driver, said on national television at Sunday’s BBC Sports Personality of the Year awards that it had been a dream for him and his family “to get out of the slums”.
“Well, not the slums, but to get out of somewhere and do something,” the Mercedes driver, who is now a multimil lionaire with homes in Monaco and the United S t at e s , added imme d i at e ly after.
T h e comment drew condemnation from offended civic authorities a nd on s o c i a l media. Hamilton, who speaks often about his journey from an underprivileged background to the pinnacle of motor racing, said in an Instagram post on Tuesday that he had made a mistake. The 33-year- old, only the third driver to win five championships, said he was “super proud” to come from the commuter town some 40km north of London where he was born and raised. “Nobody is perfect and I defi nitely make mistakes quite often, particularly when you are up in front of a crowd trying to fi nd the right words to express the long journey you’ve had in life,” he said. “I chose the wrong words. I didn’t mean anything by it and those of you who know me, know that I always mean love.” Hamilton fi nished second in the awards, behind Tour de France w i n ne r G e r a i nt Thomas. — Reuters