麻豆约拍

The starting line

On Lewis’s fifth birthday, he was gifted a remote-control car to entertain him on visits to see his father, Anthony. In time, this was upgraded to a bigger set of wheels, when Anthony bought and renovated a go-kart for Lewis. Lewis was the only black child racing at his club, and was exposed to racial abuse from a young age. In an interview with the 麻豆约拍, Lewis, who was just a child at the time of recording, was astonishingly stoic about his ordeal, saying: “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.” Aged 10, he won the British Junior Cadet Kart Championship, becoming the youngest driver ever to do so. His sporting prowess and confident manner caught the eye of McLaren owner Ron Dennis, when a young Lewis introduced himself and informed the racing boss that he would one day drive for him. In 2007, on only his sixth Grand Prix, Lewis celebrated his first Formula One win in Canada. He was presented with an MBE two years later.

Chequered history

Lewis winning Sports Personality of the Year in 2014

In 2018, Lewis’s net worth was reported to be £159 million, but while he has achieved staggering success, his actions have sometimes been the subject of controversy. Moves to Switzerland and Monaco led to accusations that he was trying to avoid paying tax in the UK and there were further accusations around his tax arrangements in a 麻豆约拍 Panorama programme around the release of the Paradise Papers in 2017. Jennie Gow, the 麻豆约拍’s Formula One presenter, finds it curious that he should come under such scrutiny from the press. She says: “I find it fascinating… there are a whole host of racing drivers who live in Monaco, and yet he’s the one that everyone says: ‘He’s doing something wrong.’”

Taking the knee; making a stand

Lewis has, however, used his influence for good. He recently established the Hamilton Commission, in partnership with the Royal Academy of Engineering, to engage young black people with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects, with the aim of improving racial representation in careers in the motorsport industry. Lewis uses his social media platforms to raise awareness of injustice, and recently has done so in more symbolic ways too. Formula One and the FIA allocated time before the British Grand Prix for an anti-racism protest, and similar demonstrations have taken place throughout the season with many drivers choosing to take the knee with Lewis before races. At the Tuscan Grand Prix, he wore a t-shirt which read “Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor”, in a bid to highlight police brutality. Breonna Taylor was a black woman who was shot eight times by police in her home in Kentucky. Formula One drivers have since been told that they cannot wear clothes bearing slogans or messages during official duties after races. This year, his Mercedes team have also painted their cars from the traditional silver to black. Lewis has been wearing an all-black racing suit and a black helmet adorned with a tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement. Added to this, the vegan racing driver has been using his platforms to promote environmental issues.

The future of racing

While Lewis is taking action to highlight racial inequality and promote diversity within the sport, the fact remains that he is still the world’s only black Formula One driver. Yet his actions are already encouraging a new generation of young racers to follow in his footsteps. Joshua Mgembe is 10-years-old, and has been inspired by seeing Lewis racing on the TV. “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.”