Hamilton launches commission to promote diversity in motorsport

A six-time Formula 1 world champion, Hamilton has joined forces with the Royal Academy of Engineering to explore "how motorsport can be used as a vehicle to engage more young people from black backgrounds with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects and, ultimately, employ them on our teams or in other engineering sectors.”

Revealing the commission in an op-ed for the Sunday Times, Hamilton detailed how his own experiences with racial injustice and inequality have spurred him to become a force for change.

“I’ve been fighting the stigma of racism throughout my racing career — from kids throwing things at me while karting, to being taunted by fans in black face at a 2007 Grand Prix, one of my first Formula 1 races,” he said..

“I’m used to being one of very few people of colour on my teams and, more than that, I’m used to the idea that no one will speak up for me when I face racism, because no one personally feels or understands my experience.

“Most of the time, they don’t even see it and if they do, they let their fear of saying the wrong thing get in the way.

“Despite my success in the sport, the institutional barriers that have kept F1 highly exclusive persist. It is not enough to point to me, or to a single new black hire, as a meaningful example of progress. Thousands of people are employed across this industry and that group needs to be more representative of society.”

A vocal proponent of the Black Lives Matter movement in recent weeks, Hamilton maintains it is imperative that people back-up their support with meaningful action.

“The time for platitudes and token gestures is over. I hope that The Hamilton Commission enables real, tangible and measurable change.

"When I look back in 20 years, I want to see the sport that gave a shy, working-class black kid from Stevenage so much opportunity, become as diverse as the complex and multicultural world we live in.”