A young black engineering student Jacob Alexander got offered an opportunity of a lifetime when he got picked by Lewis Hamilton to join his Extreme E team.
Alexander was one of the candidates for the ‘Racing For All’ scholarship with Extreme E, which was created based on the recommendations of the Hamilton Commission. The Mercedes star also set up this commission to help increase diversity in motorsport.
The 7-time world champion personally reviewed Alexander’s application before the final interview went ahead with the chief mechanic. Alexander has been placed in the Mercedes star’s Extreme E team X44. While the series regulations only allow five mechanics per car, the RFA initiative allows a sixth member from an underrepresented background.
The young mechanic is the first candidate to enjoy the perks of the scholarship, although he wasn’t even aware that he was under consideration.
Alexander had no idea about the scholarship
Alexander himself had not applied for the scholarship. His father had gone through an Instagram advertisement and had submitted the application without even telling his son.
Alexander was amazed when he got the email from X44 Vida Carbon for an interview. He further elaborated that he had applied for multiple jobs in motorsport earlier, but he never got any response. So finally, getting a positive response was very exciting for him.
🗣 ‘Wouldn’t it be great to be a part of something that really does make a difference?’
X44 Founder, Lewis Hamilton, caught up with Extreme E Scientist, Prof. Richard Washington, to learn more about the environmental impact of the series.
Happy Birthday, Lewis! 🎂#ExtremeE pic.twitter.com/2gsWP175KA
— Extreme E (@ExtremeELive) January 7, 2022
Lewis Hamilton is deeply involved in the team
Stephanie Travers, the associate sporting director of the X44 team, revealed Hamilton takes a huge interest in the workings of the team.
The RFA scholarship was created based on the findings of the Hamilton Commission, set up by the F1 star in 2020. Therefore, the Mercedes star is not only offering guidance to the Extreme E team, but he also wants to ensure that X44 is the first one to take a candidate.
After reviewing Alexander’s application, he wrote to Jacob to ensure that the young mechanic felt welcomed in the team.
Also Read: George Russell Highlights Importance Of Spending A Season With Lewis Hamilton As Teammate
