Hamilton wants more diversity in F1 as report makes recommendations

LONDON: Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton says he wants to be remembered for ‘helping people and changing the industry and the viewpoints’ ater the publication of his report into improving diversity in motorsport.

Britain’s seven-time world champion was spurred into action ater noticing the lack of diversity in an end-of-seasonphotographin2019andsubsequently set up the Hamilton Commission.

Hamilton, 36, has taken the knee before every race since the beginning of last season and has persuaded his Mercedes team to paint their cars black to highlight discrimination. The commission’s report, Accelerating Change: Improving Representation of Black People in UK Motorsport, asks for a diversity and inclusion charter to be implemented by F1 teams and other motorsport organisations.

Expanding the apprenticeship provision to include higher apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships as an alternate pathway into the sector are among the other suggestions to atempt to draw in under-represented groups to F1.

Paid work placement and work experience schemes, as well as supporting the creation of scholarship programmes to enable black graduates from degrees to progress into specialist motorsport roles have also been proposed.

Hamilton, the only black driver in Formula One, told the BBC he hoped the findings would be ‘part of my legacy’.

“I would like to be remembered for much more than winning championships, which is an amazing thing on its own, but for actually helping people and changing the industry and the viewpoints,” he said.

Hamilton said the commission, which included experts in motorsport, education and engineering, had found that obstacles for black people ran deeper than issues in gaining access to the sport.

“We realise it’s not just the motorsport industry that needs to change,” said Hamilton. “We found there are still systemic issues facing young black people at all levels of the education system.”

Defending champion Hamilton, preparing for this weekend’s British Grand Prix, trails leader Max Verstappen by 32 points ater nine rounds of the 2021 championship.

Meanwhile, Mclaren driver Lando Norris had his luxury watch stolen outside the Wembley Stadium ater watching Italy’s Euro 2020 final victory against England.

Norris was robbed of the Richard Mille watch, worth a reported £40,000 ($55,000), as he approached his Mclaren supercar following the dramatic penalty shoot-out on Sunday.