Lewis Hamilton has been a staunch activist for increasing inclusivity in motorsports, which has long seen the dominance of only a section of society. He advocates hiring women and people of color in key positions across all motorsports to see a gradual change.
On the other hand, Toto Wolff’s wife, Susie Wolff, recently took the position of managing director at F1 women’s academy. Therefore, both major F1 entities are trying to bring in a societal change in the sport.
Hamilton has taken a step ahead and promoted Mercedes engineer Stephanie Travers, the first black woman to stand on an F1 podium, as the deputy team principal of his Extreme E team X44. Travers represented Mercedes on the podium when Hamilton won the Styrian Grand Prix in 2020.
Lewis Hamilton talks about her achievements
Hamilton talks about how Travers, over the recent past, has been an integral part of his X44 team and also played a pivotal role in helping them their last year’s championship. Seeing her contribution, he has promoted her to the deputy team principal role the team.
The seven-time world champion in the past also has spoken highly of Travers. In 2020, he lauded her for being one of the first people of colour to have a significant role in an F1 team like Mercedes.
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Amidst the Black Lives Matter movement, the Silver Arrows also wanted to highlight her contribution to the team as the Trackside Fluid Engineer. Therefore, they sent her as the representative of the winning constructors in Austria in 2020.
Hamilton once again goes out of title contention
The most successful F1 driver in history has long dominated the sport. If, at the end of the last decade, anyone had suggested that Hamilton would soon not be contending for the title, it would have come off as a big joke.
But F1 is a sport that changes quickly. Almost two years after having his most dominant F1 season, the seven-time world champion found himself losing out on the championship fight within the first three races of the season.
And now, when people expected him to come stronger in the 2023 season, seeing his Mercedes woes, he is once again unlikely to vie for the championship. Nevertheless, Hamilton is still looking for his eighth, even beyond the age of 38.
