Lewis Hamilton: Young, Gifted and Black

Victory in the 2020 Portuguese Grand Prix sealed Lewis Hamilton’s place as the most successful Formula 1 driver of all time with 92 wins, surpassing Michael Schumacher’s previous record of 91. Hamilton is the sport’s first, and only black driver making his success all the more impressive. He has faced more hurdles than many Formula 1 drivers, surpassing them through his talent, to achieve more than any other in the white-dominated sport. 

Mercedes-AMG F1 on Twitter: "Young, gifted and black. ✊… "

    Hamilton was born in Stevenage in 1985. His parents split up while he was a toddler so racing became something for him and his Dad, Anthony Hamilton, to do together whenever he visited. Anthony bought Hamilton a remote-controlled car when he was five ignited his passion for racing. Anthony then bought him a go-kart for his sixth birthday and promised to support his karting career. Hamilton moved into competitive karting when he was eight. 

    Growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood and then going into a white-dominated sport made Hamilton a target for bullies. He took up karate aged five after being bullied in school for his skin colour, hoping it would provide him with the ability to defend himself. He was also a target of racist abuse as the only black child in his racing school. 

    In an interview with the BBC, while he was just ten years old, he spoke about the racist abuse he received. ‘The first time it happened I felt really upset, and I felt like I needed to get revenge on them. But lately, if anybody says anything to me, I just ignore them and get them back on the track.’ 

    The abuse he received was often more subtle in form. Hamilton has said that he and his family often received funny looks whenever they turned up to races. Many of the other families would question why he was there, overlooking his talent and focusing on his race.

    Hamilton’s team principal at Mercedes, Toto Wolff, has suggested the racial abuse Hamilton suffered as a youngster has scarred him for life. 

    Throughout his karting and racing career, he has continually proven the doubters wrong, breaking multiple records along the way. After winning the British Junior Cadet Kart Championship aged 10, he had his first meeting with the man who would eventually give him his first big break in Formula 1 - Ron Dennis, McLaren’s legendary team principal. In a conversation that has since become infamous, Hamilton told him he wanted to race one of his cars. Dennis gave him his number and told him to call him in nine years. 

    It only took three years for Hamilton to be signed up by McLaren after winning another British Championship and Super One series in 1998. He joined their young drivers programme aged 13, the youngest driver to be signed by a Formula 1 team. The contract included the option of a Formula 1 seat in the future.

    Hamilton continued his karting career winning the European Championship with maximum points in 2000. His teammate in his late karting years was Nico Rosberg, who would become Hamilton’s teammate, and major rival, at Mercedes between 2013 and 2016.

    The comparison between the hurdles Hamilton and Rosberg had to overcome to reach this stage are stark. Rosberg is the son of 1982 Formula 1 world champion Keke Rosberg and was brought up comfortably in the tax haven of Monaco. In contrast, Hamilton not only had to overcome the societal barriers of his race but is also from a working-class background. Hamilton’s father took on four different jobs to fund his son’s karting career. In an interview with Eurosport, Hamilton has said that he and his father would turn up at karting races with the kart stuffed in the boot of their car whereas other racers would turn up with RVs and tents to set up for the race. 

    Hamilton graduated into motorcar racing in 2001 in the Junior series. He continued to be successful throughout his junior motor racing career. He won the Formula Renault series in 2003, the Formula 3 Championship in 2005 and won the 2006 GP2 Championship. His GP2 success coincided with a vacant seat becoming available at McLaren, alongside reigning world champion, Fernando Alonso. Hamilton became the first black driver to race in Formula 1 and earned his seat in a car that was capable of winning the World Championship. He won nine podiums in his first nine races, including wins in Canada and the USA. He finished his first season on 109 points, just one point away from the title. It was a record season for a rookie driver. 

    Despite his obvious talent and success, the racist abuse did not stop when he entered motor racing's most prestigious tier. In the 2008 pre-season test in Spain, some spectators dressed up in black face paints and wigs to imitate him and his family. Before the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, a website was set up where users could leave spikes on a picture of the Interlagos circuit to burst Hamilton’s tyres. The comments section on articles involving him and on social media posts can often make grim reading. 

    The racism directed towards Hamilton is more often quite subtle. Criticism directed towards Lewis Hamilton is often harsher than what is received by white drivers for doing the same thing. Hamilton appeared to receive more severe criticism for moving to Monaco to become a British tax exile. The morals of this move are clearly up for debate, however Hamilton’s move was seen more negatively by large swathes of the public than similar decisions made by British racing drivers like Jenson Button, Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell. 

    There is also arguably subtle racism in how much credit Hamilton gains for his achievements. He only has one BBC Sports Personality award to his name, despite unequivocally being the most successful British sportsperson of the last decade. In contrast, both Hill and Mansell have won the award twice even though they both only have won one world championship each.

    Throughout his career, Hamilton has continually proved the doubters wrong. His list of achievements and records surpass anyone in the sport. He holds the most race wins (92), most pole positions (97), most podium finishes (161) to name just a few of his records. He has won at least one race in every season he has competed in, even while racing in a relatively uncompetitive car in 2009 and 2013, another accolade that is matched by no other driver. 

    Within his time in the sport, there have been some legendary drives. In the 2008 British Grand Prix, he mastered the wet conditions to win the race by over a minute. There was his victory in the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix where he managed to hold onto the win despite having no grip left on his tyres and under intense pressure from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. In the 2020 British Grand Prix, he won the race on three wheels after suffering a puncture halfway round the final lap. 

    Hamilton’s sights for the future now must be firmly set on earning the final elusive record of World Championship wins. He currently sits on six titles, just one behind Schumacher’s record. Given he sits 77 points clear of the World Championship, with only five races remaining, it will take a minor miracle for him to fail to equal the record this season. With little vehicle development allowed between now and next season due to Coronavirus pandemic, Hamilton must be considered the overwhelming favourite for next year’s title, which would bring him the World Championship record outright. Furthermore, it is highly likely he will surpass 100 victories and poles within the next couple of years, extending his records to a potentially unbeatable level. 

    Hamilton’s greatest legacy may not end up being his achievements in the car. In recent years, especially after the killing of George Floyd, he has sought to try and address the inequality in Formula 1, motorsport and society. 

    During this season he has been instrumental in championing the matter of black rights in society. He has used his platform to bring attention to the Black Lives Matter movement. He has been seen throughout the season wearing a black lives matter face mask and his Mercedes has been painted black from the iconic silver to promote the issue.     

    After his victory in the Tuscan Grand Prix, he wore a T-shirt which read ‘arrest the cops that killed Breonna Taylor’ to highlight police brutality. Breonna was an unarmed black woman who was shot eight times at her home by police. The policemen have not faced any legal repercussions for their actions. 

    He has also called out his fellow drivers and encouraged them to do more in promoting the issue. Before many races this season there has been an organised show of support to promote an end racism message, 13 out of the 19 other drivers took a knee alongside Hamilton. 

    This year he has set up the Hamilton Commission alongside the Royal Academy of Engineering. The commission will seek to research how motorsport can encourage people from a black background into subjects like Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). It will give young black people the skills to be employed in motorsport. In a recent interview with Sky Sports, Hamilton said he wanted to see a gradual increase in the number of BAME figures in Formula 1 so the sport can better represent the wider world. 

    Hamilton is the greatest of his generation and an inspiration to young black people. I will leave the final words to young karter Joshua Mgembe, speaking to the BBC about his idol. ‘He was really the only person who looked like me on the grid. I’m black and he’s black so it inspired me and gave me more confidence to go out there and do what I think I can do. I want to be world champion, I want to be able to win races and I want him to mentor me. That’s my ultimate dream.’