F1 INSIDER
Lewis Hamilton’s push for diversity in Formula 1
Lewis Hamilton has moved decisively to use the full weight of his star power to add momentum to the Black Lives Matter movement. Both the FIA and Formula 1 have responded with initiatives to promote diversity, and Hamilton himself has teamed up with the Royal Academy of Engineering to launch a ‘Hamilton Commission’ with the aim of making motorsport “as diverse as the complex and multicultural world we live in”.
Using a self-penned article in the Sunday Times as a platform from which to announce the project, Hamilton added: “the time for platitudes and token gestures is over”.
Against a wider tapestry of revulsion over the killing of George Floyd unleashing waves of social unrest and protests again inequality, Hamilton first spoke up via his social media channels to ‘call out’ the motorsport community over its silence on the matter – then became more strident and active.
Other drivers and teams responded by expressing their support – but, this being social media, the feedback from the public occupied the full width of the spectrum, from accusations of tokenism to declamations that “sport and politics should not mix”.
This, and the fact that so many bodies and individuals within the motor racing community felt unable or unwilling to express their position until given a very public nudge, indicates the scale of the cultural mountain to be climbed. Hamilton also addressed this in his Sunday Times article, saying, “I’m used to being one of very few people of colour on my teams and, more than that, I’m used to the idea that no one will speak up for me when I face racism, because no one personally feels or understands my experience.”
The partnership with the RAE aims to encourage more young black people to study STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects in school, opening the way to greater representation in motorsport.
“Despite my success in the sport, the institutional barriers that have kept F1 highly exclusive persist,” said Hamilton. “I hope that the Hamilton Commission enables real, tangible and measurable change. When I look back in 20 years, I want to see the sport that gave a shy, workingclass black kid from Stevenage so much opportunity, become as diverse as the complex and multicultural world we live in. Winning championships is great, but I want to be remembered for my work creating a more equal society through education.”
In June, the FIA launched a ‘#Purposedriven’ initiative at its inaugural Sport and Mobility econference, attended
“WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS IS GREAT, BUT I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED FOR MY WORK CREATING A MORE EQUAL SOCIETY THROUGH EDUCATION” LEWIS HAMILTON
virtually by 243 member clubs. FIA president Jean Todt urged members to sign up to a pledge which included commitments to “commit to fight systemic racism and prejudice” and to “proactively encourage, attract and employ a wider and more diverse range of participants in motorsport and its broader ecosystems”.
F1 announced its own initiative in support of the wider #Purposedriven movement, a campaign that seeks to emphasise the unifying effect of the global fight against COVID-19, and to combat inequality.
“The whole world has come together as one collective community in the fight against COVID-19,” F1 said in a statement. “And it has brought out the best in human nature. In recent weeks people from all walks of life have united in their condemnation of racism and inequality, something that has no place in our modern world.
As a member of the global FIA motor sport family, we acknowledge its Fundamental Principles Statutes, including the fight against any form of discrimination.
“It will not be a one week or one-year theme that disappears as issues disappear from headlines, it will underpin the F1 strategy to make a tangible difference in our sport and society.”
F1’s ‘#Weraceasone’ campaign features a rainbow logo incorporating the colours of the F1 teams – who will coordinate with F1 on a range of merchandise to raise funds for charity. The slogan “Racism Must End” will feature on trackside signage during the season-opening Austrian GP.
“Our first race in Austria is a big moment for our sport after nearly four months of no racing,” said F1 CEO Chase Carey. “While it is an important moment for the F1 community it is also a time to recognise the issues that are bigger than any one sport or country.”