Lewis Hamilton says his work to promote diversity in motorsport has given his life a greater sense of purpose than competing in Formula 1.
The seven-times world champion set up The Hamilton Commission in 2020 to study how motorsport could be used to encourage people from under-represented backgrounds to study science, technology, mathematics and engineering (STEM) subjects.
Last year he and his Mercedes team launched a charitable initiative, Ignite, which has over £5 million in seed funding to support projects which promote diversity and inclusion. It has already provided grants to bodies such as Motorsport UK and the Royal Academy of Engineering to fund scholarships for female and black engineering students.
Hamilton described the satisfaction he has gained from the progress they have made. “When you actually see the steps that you’re taking, when you actually see that the impact, when you come to realise the impact that it’s going to make on youngsters, when you meet kids that wouldn’t have had the opportunity to, for example, be at the factory if it wasn’t for what we’re doing with Ignite, that’s incredibly humbling. It gives you a lot.”
He wishes he could make the process quicker. “I want to do more and I wish things could change now,” he said. “But I know it takes time, always, to put in foundations and actually create impact.
“It takes a long time, especially if you’re working on education. Getting more young engineers from minority backgrounds or underprivileged or under-served communities into engineering to get to university, it’s a long road, it’s years. So that’s always the thing that you wish, that you could make it quicker.”
The work being done by Ignite has given meaning to the success he has enjoyed in F1, said Hamilton. “It gives a lot,” he explained. “I love kids in general and it gives my life real purpose, way more than driving a car.
“That’s something I realised over time. I’ve always said in the past, [I’m] always wondering how did I get the opportunity? Why? Why did I have the ability? Why am I at the top of this? What does it all mean? And then it’s to be a platform to create real change and real impact.”
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Helping people from under-represented backgrounds into motorsport is important to give future participants the confidence to believe they can enter the sport as well, said Hamilton. “Sometimes it does take time,” he said. “If…
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