Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, Yas Marina, 2019

Hamilton: F1 team photos shows motorsport needs real progress on diversity

2020 British Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton says his recently-announced Hamilton Commission will shed light on the areas motor racing must address to attract participants from more diverse backgrounds.

Writing in Revolution, a publication produced by the governing body of British motor racing Motorsport UK, Hamilton said the lack of diversity evident in F1 teams’ group photographs shows how the sport needs to change.

Motorsport UK chairman David Richards, a former Formula 1 team principal, told the same publication motor racing is “far from” being fully inclusive. He believes it must “reduce the barriers to entry and embrace diversity” between races, genders and competitors with disabilities.

Hamilton’s Mercedes team has already announced it intends to launch a new programme to improve diversity among its organisation. In June it revealed only 12% of its team members are women and 3% are from minority ethnic backgrounds.

While Hamilton said he has “always felt isolated as the only black driver in F1”, he is more concerned by the slow pace of progress being made in improving diversity than the racism he has encountered.

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Silverstone, 2020
‘People of colour and females are hugely under-represented’
“While I have experienced racism during my career, it is the lack of awareness and action to combat it which was the most concerning,” said Hamilton. “At first, I thought my success could help to change that, to show that someone who looked like me could have a career in motorsport. But I soon realised it was not good enough for me to win if nothing in the background of the sport changes.

“Looking at team photos at the end of last season, there were very few people of colour. It seems if you are male and white than you take centre stage and black and female engineers are virtually non-existent. I often get asked about where the next black driver is coming from, but it isn’t just about the drivers – after all we are just a small part of the sport. The truth is, people of colour and female team members are hugely under-represented within the paddock and in factories too.”

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Hamilton intends his commission to encourage more non-white students to take up technical subjects which can lead to careers in motor racing.

“I was also surprised by the effect the lack of diverse students pursuing science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) is having on motorsport,” said Hamilton. “The barriers facing many students from minority backgrounds in pursuing STEM subjects throughout the education process are significant. This directly relates to the inclusivity we see in our teams, as many don’t know the careers subjects like engineering can lead to. The future of the industry relies on us ensuring we keep diverse talent on their journey to motorsport.

“That is why I recently announced the Hamilton Commission, my research partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering. The research will explore how motorsport can be used to engage more young people from black backgrounds with STEM subjects and, ultimately, employ them within our Formula 1 teams. While this report is focused specifically on young black people, I hope the Hamilton Commission will act as a guide for all teams and organisations who want to investigate issues of racial inequality.”

The high cost of grass roots motorsport such as karting presents another obstacle to competitors from non-traditional backgrounds, Hamilton added.

“I was able to overcome those odds through the support of my father and his sacrifices, but sadly not everyone is that lucky and we urgently should look at how we lower the costs associated with karting.”

Richards wants to “reduce the barriers to entry” in motorsport
Writing in the same publication, Richards said Hamilton’s arrival in Formula 1 has been “nothing short of a miracle given all of the challenges they faced” earlier in his career.

“I remember all too well the early days of karting with Lewis and his father, Anthony,” he said. “It never occurred to me at the time that Lewis felt like an outside, let alone the racial abuse he was experiencing behind the scenes.”

“Unless we recognise the reality of the situation things will never change and I trust that all in our sport would agree that what happened to Lewis is unacceptable,” he added.

Richards believes motorsport “has the opportunity to be totally inclusive, but we are far from that today.”

“We have tried numerous initiatives to get more women racing and things are improving, yet they still represent only 9% of our licence holders,” he said. “Those with disabilities find that barriers to participation are there at every turn. We might claim to embrace diversity, but we still have a long way to go.”

Ferrari, Yas Marina, 2019
Hamilton told Ferrari to “hold themselves accountable” on diversity
Hamilton has repeatedly drawn attention to issues of racism and diversity, and urged rival teams to demonstrate the steps they are taking to make their workforces more inclusive.

“We, the governing body, need to take advantage of the momentum that Lewis has created to look far deeper into our organisation and ask ourselves searching question about how we reduce the barriers to entry and embrace diversity in all its forms,” said Richards.

“But it is up to each and every one of us, within the motorsport community, to ensure the cultural change required is something that we all embrace.”

Richards believes this should not be achieved through new regulations, but promised Motorsport UK will “take a proactive approach to adopting new initiatives that lead to our sport becoming genuinely diverse, inclusive and welcoming for everyone.”

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Keith Collantine
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85 comments on “Hamilton: F1 team photos shows motorsport needs real progress on diversity”

  1. Hamilton is spot on.
    British people is less than 1% of world population but they represent at least 50% (or even more) of F1 teams.

    1. Maybe that’s because that’s where most of the teams are based…

    2. The fact that British people make up the skills & talent in a lot of F1 teams.
      Has absolutely zero to do with race.

      1. It shows that the sport is not representative in general, not just by race. Of course, the responses show that the word ‘diversity’ has a special meaning in the woke religion.

      2. Althought some arguments Lewis presents are perfectly valid, and in concept his fight is totally fair, I think he is only focusing on “racial diversity”. I’m pretty sure he had to climb a much harder ladder to F1 than for example Lando Norris, and he constantly points out how difficult it was for him (I’m pretty sure it was), but he fails to acknowledge his privileges also, he had a massive privilege for being born in the UK.

        What we need to achieve is equal opportunities as a society, guarantee that anyone has the same chances in the world, either if he is a black born in Tanzania, a white born in Albania or a hispanic born in Nicaragua. Equal opportunity does not always converts into equal representation, F1 is not an essential need, is basically an UK sport with some relevance in the rest of western European culture and south America, is not a worldwide sport like football. Even with equal opportunities white people in F1 will be a majority, because there’s not a sport that relevant in majority black nations, and that’s ok.

  2. So basically a quota system in the name of diversity, sacrificing merit.

    1. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
      1st August 2020, 14:07

      Formula BLM to support Formula W.

    2. So basically you (deliberately?) missed the point again.

      1. Congratulations to you on getting the point when it seems so many here can’t.

        1. No, just the same handful of posters.

  3. I mean he’s right, but surely this is a more structural issue with education and opportunity for minorities than something F1 and F1 teams can actually influence? If these kids aren’t getting into the position of learning these things and demonstrating their skills at the right schools and the right institutions, how do F1 and its teams find them? F1 and teams can’t just hire people to hit a quota, they’re going to hire the best people for the job. So the goal’s got to be to get people of minorities and other cultures into those schools and buisnesses so they can demonstrate their skills equally, but that’s an education related thing – let alone finance. Unless F1 starts getting involved in schools too I don’t see how they can influence this.

    1. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
      1st August 2020, 14:08

      Absolutely. It’s a class issue as much as anything. F1 is a very elitist sport.

  4. Wow, they way Hamilton said it as if F1 promoting discrimination or racism. F1 teams hired the best and if anyone is good enough, they do stand a chance. Don’t forget those are the people behind ur back that work ass out to give u that amazing cars. Perhaps we fans need to rethink if you do deserve our support since you think only of certain people. Getting more disappointed with u

    1. You make a fair point. Even with 12% of its team members are women and 3% are from minority ethnic backgrounds, Mercedes did present a championship winning car year after year. That has happened because these highly talented men and women are on the team on account of their merit.

      1. If there are a ton of world class engineers being discriminated against for their race or gender, there is a huge opportunity here. Start a team made up exclusively of women and non-whites, using this world class talent to beat Mercedes.

        It will the super cheap too, since women supposedly get paid only a six pence to the guinea for equal work.

  5. ENOUGH. Just drive.
    He’s just put himself in the lead to be voted,
    Most Grating Sports Person of the Decade.
    Diversity? Biggest smokescreen to cover up anything.
    UK’s Diversity & Political correctness has been a disaster.
    Go tell ethnic diversity to all of the young victims of the grooming gangs in UK.
    Only now after 20 years of evil cover ups.
    Are those perpetrators facing justice.

    1. Wow…I mean…just…WOW!

      1. DeanR, you can pat your back now.

  6. Lewis is right. Half of the world population are Asian. At least that the minimum representation on that photo.

    But he should also support Asian right in the real life. Stop destroying Asian effort during a race.

    1. @ruliemaulana touche but the only one Hamilton is interested in to see more of are obviously blacks, not anybody else.

  7. Maybe that’s because that’s where most of the teams are based…

  8. Ziggy Stardust
    1st August 2020, 13:37

    Did he speak out about the human rights abuses in all the countries this elitest sport race in?

    NOT ONCE…. hypocrite, go spend your millions, flash your gold jewelry… you’re a joke

  9. Just who is it judging people based on their skin color now? If Lewis had any credibility he would name the names in the team photo of who has to leave based on his criteria. Otherwise it’s nothing more than virtue signaling on his part.

    1. 6 WDCs, 86 wins & 91 PPS give him a “little” credibility surely?

      1. In a car, yes. As a person, he’s a pontificating brat. Everyone forgets only a few short years ago he was flying one of his dogs back and forth to LA “because the dog liked staying in LA over the UK”. Carbon footprint? Pfffft, I’m rich. Now he’s hawking £30 veggie burgers in his restaurants that only the 1% can (realistically) afford to eat at. Hypocritical man-child.

        1. Ahhh, so you watch f1 as a reality soap opera ? Drivers must say the right things st the right times otherwise they receive a boo and a hiss? Each to their own I guess.

  10. I suggests Hamilton buys a F1 team when he retires as a driver. There he only employs coloured people as team personel. That would present a fantastic opportunity for all those who now apparently as he claims are rejected bu other teams.

  11. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
    1st August 2020, 13:40

    How does the team photo show that? To me the team photo shows the best group of people who have made an unparalleled sporting dynasty in F1. I know it feeds his brand and narcissism but this obsession society has on race and skin colour is not going to end well. Never in my lifetime have I seen good people so divided.

  12. Hamilton spent 13+ years in Formula 1, and he seemed very comfortable reaping his six titles and his many other results in the cars those white male engineers had built for him. Now that some jackass in a uniform killed a black guy on camera two thousands of miles away, suddenly the diversity within racing teams are not good enough for His Majesty. Maybe he should turn this down a little bit already.

  13. So, Lewis, which white men at Mercedes need to be fired and which people of color and women need to be hired? I’m sure that you have binders full of quality engineers that are non-white and/or female, right?

    1. Yup Fire them 85% and send them to Ferrari, they are leading in diversity… And not leading in laptime.

    2. So Lewis, would you be happy to drive a car two seconds slower because our best people will be fired and replaced to fill a skin colour quota…

  14. Lewis seems to be the most racist person in F1. It’s funny how the woke-ist people seem to be that way. All he seems to see now is what race someone is rather then if they’re good at their job. Aside from that he’s a bully & it’s becoming ever increasing listening to the other drivers interviews.

  15. Who are the members of The Hamilton Commission? What were their selection criteria? Is it an FIA supported commission?

    1. Also, why call it the ‘Hamilton Comission’ ?!
      Why not the ‘Diversity Commission’ or something.

      Although a great cause, it feels so forced and as if motivated by the same needs that earlier in his career drove him to sign with Beckham’s agent to build his personal ‘brand’, having a popstar-girlfriend back then too and later his attempts at becoming a rapper and a social media influencer, i.e. vanity.

      1. Right. From what I understand the commission would cover motorsport in general. Then it should be broad based involving individuals from all category of motorsports. At the moment we do not know anything about the committee other that a stated goal.

  16. Mark in Florida
    1st August 2020, 13:54

    If he wants something like a mandated quota I’m all for that. That way in America the absurd ratios in football and basketball can be reversed. You can’t do it for one sport and not for another, we have to be fair about it. But then again this is not about merit or fairness is it? It’s all about appearances and virtue signalling. If certain segments of society emphasizes sports over STEM what control does say Ferrari or anyone else in the business have over it. You can’t make people study math or science but the after school program is full of kids playing basketball or football. People do what they want to do, making laws and mandates will not change it. You will only end up with sub par results.

  17. When I applied to study physics, out of 230 people who applied 34 were women. So sounds about right, 12% women and 3% minorities.

    Everyone was accepted, so if more applied, there would be more female physicists.

    It takes a special arguably strange mind to study let alone excell at STEM.

    Same in our workforce 5-10% are women, and about 10% are from some minority. Most are awkward white male engineers.

    Nobody told me, I could be an footballer as a kid, nobody suggested I should study arts, nobody told me to become a Singer, or musician. I was told from an early age to study STEM.

    This is as much cultural as is racial, why do so few people pick up STEM.

    There are long time attempt to atleast bring women to STEM, computer science. Within 5 years of getting their degree, the young women move to management, sales and slowly away from engineering. Even when they do have an engineering degree.

    My friend from university, passed with all 10s on time, with scholarship for the gifted, she could do anything she would want in STEM, 10 years go buy, she writes taska and documentation.

    So good luck Lewis bringing women to engineering Jobs, many a lesser man/woman has tried exactly that through the years.

    1. Comment of the day – surely !!!

    2. THIS.

      The lack of diversity on the grid and in the paddock are predominantly a factor of social-cultural and even more so a social-economical factors. That is not to say systemic racism or discrimination are not a real thing, it just doesn’t apply as directly to the F1 circus as Lewis seems to think.

  18. The teams are mostly based in Britain. The majority are based in Europe. These nations are predominantly Caucasian. It can only be called racism if the teams reject non-Caucasian applicants. Give me one example where a qualified non-Caucasian applicant with the correct skills and experience has applied to a Formula 1 team and been rejected! It is equality of opportunity which is important, not equality of outcome.

    1. From the little I’ve learnt isn’t that exactly what Hamilton is doing? Whether through his Commission, EducationAfrica, inner city school initiatives with emphasis on STEM, UN Global Goal 4, etc? They all seem to be aimed at opening up equality of opportunity. Not about some sort of quota system.
      Same with Mercedes. They recruit engineers from a few mainly white universities. Hence why they introduced their internships and looking to widen the recruitment net for engineers. Can’t see why that is so upsetting to some.

      1. I should add that I would guess the main finding from the Commission with regard to lack of minority motor sport level engineers will be the localised nature of top level motor sport.

        1. Jose Lopes da Silva
          1st August 2020, 16:26

          “Commission, EducationAfrica, inner city school initiatives with emphasis on STEM, UN Global Goal 4”

          I would have to inform myself about that. Most people don’t know enough about it and I’m among them.

  19. Cream rises to the top. It always has.

    If there was or is a Black, Asian, Indian engineer worth his salt then F1 would employ him or her because F1 is about results.

    I am a Lewis fan but he is going down the wrong road with this and his 18mil fanbase might become 18 very soon. The 18 being his family.

    Sometimes working in the background and keeping mouth shut is a very good philosophy.

    1. Funny isn’t it, I’ve never heard someone crying there being too many asian doctors, or too many indian engineers or too many blacks in the NBA…

      1. Too many blacks in the NBA has been a complaint in prior decades, unfortunately.

    2. Jose Lopes da Silva
      1st August 2020, 15:09

      Is Lance Stroll cream, next to Nick De Vries or Raffaelle Marciello?

      1. Well, cream rises to the top and buys its son a seat.

        1. Jose Lopes da Silva
          2nd August 2020, 10:15

          F1 is about result$$$, as it goes.

  20. This crying is getting tiresome.

    1. NeverElectric
      1st August 2020, 16:08

      Someone forcing you to listen / read??

  21. Such a racist comment from this clown.

    He’s basically stating that those people shouldn’t be there because of their skills but because of their skin colour.

    Forced diversity is much worse than none at all.

    1. Hes “basically” saying…? Which actually means I’m upset because I feel Lewis is targeting me and my race and to strike back I will take his comments out of context and twist them under the term “basically”. Bravo sir, bravo. Did you enjoy today’s Qualy?

    2. Fred, you are right. He is saying certain people in the photo shouldn’t be there because of their skin color. It’s disgusting. You can’t sugar-coat his views. The rest of the world lives in the 21st century…he should join us.

  22. Jose Lopes da Silva
    1st August 2020, 15:14

    We are finally going beyond the simple statement against racism.

    The issue Hamilton is addressing here has to do with social fractures, rather than racial. We need to ensure we have a meritocratic system in place – one that is effectively able to turn a blind eye to one’s colour, gender or other identity feature. He is drifting away from it (if he’s ever been there in the first place, of course)

    The featuring of Stroll and Latifi in the grid and the fact that people happily accept the growing prominence of Stroll tells us that most people don’t care much about meritocracy, anyway. You can’t stand by meritocracy while against Hamilton, and be ok with the Stroll issue.

    Some people might get offended by talks about “privilege” regarding Stroll, but that’s only the snowflakes who get offended to easily.

    1. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
      1st August 2020, 15:21

      Very good comment

    2. I don’t know about you, but I don’t anyone ever loved the idea of pay drivers and that’s essentially what Stroll and Latifi are. Not that they don’t have some talent, but their seats are being paid for. I’d rather have minorities in their seats if they have the talent to justify being there. Albon and Perez are good examples.

      1. I don’t care what race they have, I just don’t like drivers that got there in large part because of reasons other than talent and at the expence of more talented drivers.

        And to a degree that’s already the case to begin with, because who knows how many talented kids never even got into karting or aborted early because their parents weren’t willing to/couldn’t pay a hundred thousand euros per year…

      2. Jose Lopes da Silva
        1st August 2020, 20:35

        I have a deep issue with Stroll because he’s not a pay driver anymore. He takes the concept to a new level where sport is killed. If you drop millions of dollars in a career, others can’t compete with that. From teams after teams bought in lower levels, to the huge testing program he got before debuting with Williams, etc.

        If you dig in history, you’ll find that George Russell accused Stroll of being deliberately protected by Prema in Euro Formula 3. Google for “russell stroll euro formula 3”. There are suspicions that Cassidy and Gunther had to back off for Stroll in more than one occasion.

        But even without those polemics, the point is: Stroll is starting a trend where you have to be a son of an F1 driver or a Forbes list member in order to become an F1 driver.

        And he´s not a pay driver – he is a team owner, he can’t be fired. Pay drivers could always be fired or the budget could run out. Not the case here. And, unlike Brabham, McLaren or Fittipaldi, he did not create his team.

        And most F1 fans seem to be fine with this.

      3. Perez is a minority? You are quick to forget, he was a pay driver and still is.

  23. The wilful ignorance displayed in the comments are here is simply stunning. Research has shown that recruitment companies discriminate on who they put forward for interviews based on ethnic or minority sounding names. The same has been found regarding companies who recruit their staff directly.

    The point is, F1 does not only recruit the best people, but the best people from a CERTAIN demographic. Basically, if a PREDOMINANTLY white company operating in a PREDOMINANTLY white sport is faced with two engineers with exactly the same experience and qualifications, (one white and the other black or minority), the chances are they would choose the white engineer most times. Again, this is what research has found.

    So argue and disagree all you want, Lewis has a valid point. 50 years from now, he will be lauded for his drive to increase diversity in a predominantly white sport where minorities could do just as well if given the chance, the same way Jackie Stewart is being lauded today for his drive to improve safety in Formula 1.

    1. Can you quote a credible research?

      1. I can certainly quote MULTIPLE research studies that confirms this blatant discrimination.. But you cannot be the one to introduce a “caveat” of what is credible or not.

        Unless of course you also have your own “credible” research that contradicts them.

        Please let me know.

        1. Why not post the research then? In most places I imagine such practices would fall foul of anti discrimination laws and open companies up to lawsuits.

          1. Exactly. In today’s connected world, no company would get away with any discrimination or inequality. It would be all over the media – both news and social. And there would be lawsuits.

    2. Great comment. Lewis is now transending F1. Whine all you want people but as kbdavies says…in 50 years time (I think it will be much much less) Lewis will be remembered in the same vein as Mohammed Ali. The greatest sporting icon of all time. But you guys crack on, maybe your faux fury will be recalled in the same manner?

      1. That’s the thing though, Dean. Lewis seems to be doing this to become ‘memorable’. And it feels to me he’s using the current topic on the menu to do it. I mean, the ‘Hamilton Commission’? Come on now.

    3. Send us those quality minority engineers please. We are hiring all, regardless of race, gender or religion, send them here.

      But they must be engineers.

  24. But the general sentiment is that F1 should stay European, and not chase after big money or political correctness.

  25. The average comment on any article about diversity sadly shows just how far there is to go.

    1. Touche. Sad isn’t it.

    2. Quite sad. And this will be those shouting the most about how many POC and minorities they have as friends or grew up with.

      A long way to go indeed.

  26. There’s something to be said for the power of seeing people like your in a field and how that affects it’s appeal

    Take nursing for example, nearly 90% female. Do men just have no interest in healthcare roles? Is the pay insufficient to attract men because they’re more status down? If something like those examples were all it was then why are paramedics two thirds male?

    I don’t imagine at any point in the education pathway or the hiring practices of F1 teams they actively discriminate women or minorities, but the perception of it being a white men’s club because that’s mostly what anyone sees in the sport can’t help the sports appeal to a broader number of people

    And that’s why it’s important, not tokenism like some people might try to claim all it is, but reaching a broader audience because that helps the sport thrive

    1. Some people don’t want to believe it, but a lot of women – not all obviously- but many choose careers where they are in a caregiver role such as teachers or nurses. Many men gravitate towards careers with machines like cars or aviation. No one is discriminating, it’s just different choices. You can’t look at an outcome an assume every inequality is due to discrimination.

      1. a lot of women – not all obviously- but many choose careers where they are in a caregiver role such as teachers or nurses.

        But this is a gender identity and thus cultural issue, rather than a biological difference between men and woman. The way we re-produce culture like gender identity, can be deliberately changed if we want to and it starts with not painting the babyroom pink when you’re expecting a girl for example.

        The same is true for social-cultural and social economical factors that lead to less people of colour and females being interested in going racing at a young age, studying engineering or even being able to afford to do either of these things to begin with.

        1. Wrong. Both factors are at play. Both biology and society norms. It is very surprising how much biology and genetics determines who we are, our intellect and our interests. A lot of people claimed that boys were more physical and violent due to parents treating their baby boys more aggressively than their baby girls – that has been shown to basically be incorrect, however this narrative is perpetuated by gender ideologues.

      2. You can’t derive an ought from an is

        That women and men ‘make different choices’ doesn’t explain why that’s the case, if it has to be the case, or if it’s ideal that it’s the case

        The example I gave of only 1/10 of nurses being male, but 2/3 paramedics being male is a good example of one of these supposed choices we make. The roles pay the same, broadly require the same competency and compassion. So why the disparity? Could it be that when making the ‘choice’ part of that decision rests on the demographics of your colleagues?

        People are less likely to feel like an outsider when they’re surrounded by people like them

  27. I can see this moving to special recruitment for F1 teams on the lines used by the BBC where every ethnic and gender group has a special recruitment round and magically it never lists white males in the target group. This now means that the BBC presenters are now massively unrepresentative of the population as a whole.

    The worst performing group educationally in the UK is white poor males. And when one philanthropist tried to set up a programme to improve that he was decried as a racist. Meanwhile special attention is paid to most other groups with scholarships or programmes.

    I would suggest the reason there are few black people in F1 might be because they find it as hard as their white peers to get into that rarified clannish environment and many more whatever their ‘idenitity’ are not interested in trying repelled by the cutthroat and backstabbing atmosphere where who you know is more important than what you know.

    I do wonder if the black F1 fan base is more for Hamilton than the sport although I hope once hooked they stay after he has gone. That is fine personal fan bases are essential to any spectator sport, but it does suggest the barriers might not be all racist. Football, music and other performing arts, athletics, politics and media are more attractive to black Brits. Is it racial discrimination which makes Premier league teams so predominantly non-white? Of course not.

    Illegal discrimination on the basis or race or gender or region does happen but engaging in American race politics and emphasising one identity for special benefits is not a way for social harmony. Breaking down the barriers to F1 for everyone would be so much more rewarding, stopping the king putting his prince in a car, making team management a matter of ability not family, proper open recruitment without a bias to those who are ‘known’, less direct and indirect nepotism all around.

    On the other hand in the UK the interest in science and technology as career choices is low and of overall concern. Perhaps by not making it a race issue and encouraging all kids to be more engaged with engineering and science progress might be made for all groups….equally.

    On a last note I suspect with his early sponsorship and energetic father Hamilton has not had it as bad as he thinks. Who else could have strolled up to Ron Denis and engage him in conversation as Hamilton did as a kid. We all see things as worse for us than the next person, you know the grass is always greener….

    And I do speak from experience. He might, as I did, try growing up in a one parent (mother) working class family as an illegitimate child in the early 50s. We were less welcome in those more judgemental benefits free days than the Irish family next door or the West Indian family next door to them. The prejudice followed me into adulthood and career. Luckily I had a sponsor too and ended up in Who’s Who.

    1. Jose Lopes da Silva
      1st August 2020, 18:09

      “The worst performing group educationally in the UK is white poor males.”
      Why does that happen?
      (If you check my comment above you’ll see I’m not trolling nor triggering. I’m really curious. What kind of motives could drive to such situation?)

  28. You know what would really show if he is honest or not about his cause? If suddenly out of nowhere, another black driver would appear – instead of Bottas, or at Ferrari/RedBull or in any other team and would start beating him regurarly, but he should be the complete opposite of Hamilton, quiet and sticking for himself. The question is, how long would Lewis be happy to be the second fiddle and no longer the biggest sensation in the sport? How soon would he start bantering about this new driver and calling him out for no aparent reason?

  29. I don’t care what colour anyone’s skin is. Anyone who does is an idiot.

  30. A LOT of people commenting on this thread really need to take a look at themselves, and be ashamed. Sadly however, they won’t!

    Lewis is raising the point that there are insufficient opportunities for certain groups in STEM industries, and that THIS is the reason for under representation in f1 and motorsports. He is not, and never has, suggested the existing white male employees be sacked in favour of a qouta of minorities that represents society.
    The fact that this subject is triggering these responses, just highlights these peoples own “issues

    1. This is definitely a fundamental issue in the world we are living in and needs changes in the foundation.

      The opportunities are certainly there but I think we definitely have a high proportion of caucasian male candidates in this industry. It’s certainly the case in my industry although I’m seeing an increase in female candidates. I make decisions in hiring purely based on characters and capabilities. While 90% of candidates are caucasian and the hiring guideline is to be based on capabilities only. This already puts the diversity in its back foot.

      I also feel unfairness in good institutions charging really high prices in studying and that again puts the diversity in its back foot.

      Obviously changes need to come from everywhere. No one can do everything. I try my best to work with other parents to be more inclusive regardless of colours and merits. However I don’t deliberately reach out non caucasian communities to help. It’s certainly something I’ll consider helping in elevating STEAM awareness.

  31. When I see drivers like Sean Gelael, Guanyu Zhou, Jehan Daruvala in F2, I see there is enough ethnic diversity in the motorsport.

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