Lewis Hamilton has become famous all across the globe owing to his status as F1’s most successful driver ever. Furthermore, his work towards increasing inclusivity and diversity in the world of motorsports is admired by many. The British driver has become a pillar of driving change in F1, owing to the work he does away from F1.
Lewis Hamilton has spoken out about his own experiences with racism. pic.twitter.com/MhpzZWacTq
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) June 6, 2020
Moving to Ferrari in 2025, the Briton hopes to continue his work, as revealed in an update by X user Nini. Speaking to the media, Hamilton revealed that he has had a chat with Ferrari chairman John Elkann. He said that the conversation was about the diversity and inclusion work that Ferrari needs to do.
“Ferrari have a lot of work to do. I’ve already made that a priority.”
Hamilton further revealed that Ferrari showed enthusiasm and was “super excited” to start working on it. Not only is Elkann Ferrari’s chairman, but he is also the CEO of Exor. Exor is the ‘mother company’ of Ferrari and has a global reach. As such, Hamilton earning Elkann’s favor in such a realm would be a huge boost to his cause.
Mercedes did their part to further the cause of Lewis Hamilton
In 2020, major protests broke out in almost every part of the world following the unfortunate death of George Floyd. With Hamilton being the only black driver on the grid, he led the charge by taking a knee during a silent minute protest.
He even wore Black Lives Matter t-shirts on podiums, remaining the only outspoken voice in F1. However, he soon found an unexpected ally in Mercedes.
️“Mercedes have made the most emphatic statement”
Outside their Brackley HQ, @craigslatersky brought the news at 11am about Mercedes’ powerful pledge and the W11’s black livery for F1 2020#SkyF1 | #SSN | #F1
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) June 29, 2020
Despite being with the team since 2013, Hamilton never wanted or expected Mercedes to aid him in his endeavors against racism. However, the Silver Arrows chose to take a knee alongside their champion driver. They even launched a Black Livery on the W11 and W12 as a symbol of support.
Speaking about the entire episode, Hamilton said he would be letting himself down if he didn’t speak up against it. “But I remember doing that and having support from the team that I wasn’t expecting.”
