“Remember how terrifying it was”: 7-time F1 Champion Lewis Hamilton recalls being beaten up by racists in Newcastle

"Remember how terrifying it was": 7-time F1 Champion Lewis Hamilton recalls being beaten up by racists in Newcastle

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.

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.

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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.

“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

 

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes

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Somin Bhattacharjee

Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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