Lewis Hamilton recalled being beaten up by a racist father and son during a visit to Newcastle back when he was 11 years old.
Hamilton has been speaking out against racism throughout his career. He’s one of the most popular athletes in the world and uses his platform to highlight issues like this which plague society.
After the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement gained widespread support in 2020, Hamilton asked Mercedes to design an all-black car for the season.
No Room For Racism. Challenge it. Report it. Change it. #NoRoomForRacism @premierleague @EASPORTSFIFA #FIFA21
Learn more at https://t.co/rFx4EwvAkd #ad pic.twitter.com/yuBQzhrUWM— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) March 4, 2021
Today, he’s the only black driver in F1, a sport that has lacked diversity over the years. Hamilton’s rise to stardom has brought about a desire to bring change as more and more people from different backgrounds are trying to make their way into F1 today.
Hamilton is a 7-time World Champion, but he has had to deal with a lot of racism on his way to the top. He has revealed several instances where he had to deal with discrimination within the sport. The Brit recently highlighted an incident that took place back when he was 11 years old.
Also read: Red Bull ace Max Verstappen gifted $400,000 Porsche to himself after winning first F1 race
Racist father and son asked Lewis Hamilton to ‘go back to his country’
Hamilton had to deal with a lot of racism during his karting career. However, one of his most terrifying experiences came away from the track. He went to visit his mother and step-father in Newcastle when he was attacked on the streets.
A father and son kicked him to the ground, before asking him to ‘go back to his country’. A young Hamilton recalls being confused and terrified, because he couldn’t understand why this happened to him.
“Even today, I remember how terrifying it was. I really, really couldn’t understand it,” he said. “It was like, ‘Are they talking to me? I’m from here. What do they mean?’ I could never understand it.
Lewis Hamilton has received online racist abuse after the British GP.
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) July 18, 2021
“When you’re being attacked, there’s this fear. There’s fear. And there’s anger as well because you want to get them back for the pain that they’re causing you.”
Hamilton is doing a lot for the black community in motorsports today. This is primarily because he knows just how difficult it is to deal with the problems he faced in his career back during his junior days.
Also read: Alpine consider shutting academy as $11.5 million Oscar Piastri investment goes uncultivated
