Lewis Hamilton to create commission to increase diversity in motorsport


Lewis Hamilton to create commission to increase diversity in motorsport

Lewis Hamilton has announced his plan to set up a commission in his name which will increase diversity in motorsport to make “real, tangible and measurable change.”

In his Sunday Times column Hamilton said “Despite my success in the sport, the institutional barriers that have kept F1 highly exclusive persist. It is not enough to point to me, or to a single new black hire, as a meaningful example of progress. Thousands of people are employed across this industry and that group needs to be more representative of society.” With the six-time world champion adding that he wanted motorsport “to become as diverse as the complex and multicultural world we live in.”

Since the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis, Hamilton has attended Black Lives Matter protests in London and previously called out fellow F1 drivers for not using their platform to speak out against racism, prompting many drivers such as Ferrari’s Charles Le Clerc to condemn racism. On his decision to call out his competitors Hamilton said “I saw people I respected choosing to say nothing and it broke my heart. It's why I had to speak out.”

Hamilton stated that “I have been fighting the stigma of racism throughout my racing career - from kids throwing things at me while karting, to being taunted by fans in black face at a 2007 grand prix. The unchanged make-up of the F1 community throughout my career makes it feel like only a certain type of person is truly welcome in this sport, one who looks a certain way, comes from a certain background, fits a particular mould and plays by certain unwritten rules. Even now, the media ask me different questions than they do my competitors and make accusations directly and indirectly: you're not British enough, not humble enough, not loved enough by the public.”

The Hamilton Commission has been set up in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering and will “explore areas including lack of role models and career services at schools, opportunities to engage more black youth with STEM extracurriculars, barriers that prevent people from more diverse backgrounds joining the racing industry, and problematic hiring practices that result in fewer black graduates entering engineering professions.” With the main purpose being to increase diversity throughout motorsport.

You may also like

View All

Sport Resolutions invites applications for the roles of Chair and Member(s) of the ITF Ethics Commission

Sport Resolutions is seeking independent individuals to serve as Chair and Member(s) of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Ethics Commission, playing a key role in upholding ethical standards and promoting good governance in international tennis

Read More

IOC to take over gender eligibility criteria previously managed by international federations

The new leader of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, has announced that the committee will take over responsibility of gender eligibility criteria, acknowledging concerns about leaving the issue solely to international federations

Read More

Faith Kipyegon sparks discussion on sport integrity as she attempts to break the four-minute mile barrier using new, unapproved technology

Kenyan middle-to-long distance runner, Faith Kipyegon, is attempting to be the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes with the help of new, unapproved technology, sparking discussion on sport integrity and accessibility

Read More

Newsletter Signup

Please enter your email address below: