Lewis Hamilton stands for more than just excellence on the race track. Through his exploits in Formula 1, the #44 driver has often used his platform to raise his voice for causes that are close to him. One such drive for the Mercedes racer is for inclusivity. Recently, F1 journalist Rebecca Clancy revealed an incident that occurred on the eve of the inaugural Saudi Arabian GP in 2021. Clancy believes that this incident exemplified how Hamilton used his prominence and put it to good use.
Writing for The Times UK, Clancy narrated a chat she had with Hamilton. While talking about his mission for greater inclusivity and diversity, Clancy had mentioned to Hamilton how she was apprehensive about traveling to the country because of how women were banned from the hotel’s gyms and pools.
Hamilton’s response then left Clancy in awe. She wrote, “The next day, an email was sent to all media which said women would have the same access to the hotel facilities as the men. Hamilton had had a word.”
That weekend back in 2021 isn’t the only time Hamilton did something for the cause of uplifting women in the workplace and otherwise. On many occasions, before the incident and after, the seven-time world champion has engaged proactively with organizations who have or are willing to diversify the workplace to instill the ethos and values of inclusivity.
Lewis Hamilton engages Brad Pitt and Apple to spearhead his cause for greater inclusivity
Lewis Hamilton has taken his role of championing the cause of women’s rights very seriously. For instance, the upcoming F1 movie, starring Brad Pitt and produced by Apple, sees Hamilton as an executive producer as well. Naturally, Hamilton ensured that female representation in the film would be a benchmark for the production team.
The Mirror UK quoted Hamilton as saying, “My job and I think responsibility is to make sure it is diverse. So I want to see female mechanics. We would love to see a female driver. We haven’t got to that point just yet, but why not?”
The 39-year-old racing driver has also brought these core values to Mercedes. With the Silver Arrows, the Briton has ensured that the hiring process within the team and the wider industry reflects the inclusive and diverse agenda that F1 should adopt with the changing landscape of contemporary society.
