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Hamilton vows he will not stop using his name to ‘shed light on what I believe is right’

By Rodney Hinds

THE GREATEST Formula One driver of all time has said that being adjudged the most infl uential black person in the United Kingdom is ‘special’ to him.

The seven-times world champion has had another amazing season. He has a record 94 Grand Prix wins and has now equalled the legendary Michael Schumacher’s world titles.

Many, in and outside the community, scratch their heads as to why Hamilton has not been the subject of a knighthood as yet.

No doubt it will come, but the glaring omission has been seen by some as disrespectful. Many have arguably achieved a whole lot less but have been bestowed the honour.

PLATFORM

However, this year has seen the 35-year-old Stevenage-born racer step up his anti-racism stance as he continues to use his infl uence and enormous platform to show support.

Hamilton says he will not stop using his name to “shed light on what I believe is right”, in the wake of a controversial response to his Breonna Taylor T-shirt at the Tuscan Grand Prix.

His shirt’s ‘arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor’ and ‘say her name’ messages, plus a photo of her on the back, were seen in the pre-race build up and post-race around the podium ceremony.

The champion’s activism has also seen drivers take the knee several times this season and he has regularly spoken up on

Being voted as a number one on the Powerlist is really special because it’s been voted by the black community

behalf of the Black Lives Matter movement.

In the wake of him being named No. 1 on this year’s Powerlist, Hamilton said: “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it and how humbling it is to be named alongside such incredible people.

“I have stood on plenty of podiums in my time and have been lucky enough to win a few awards but being voted as a number one on the Powerlist is really special because it’s been voted by the black community.

“Like many of you I have experienced racism my whole life, from being called names when I was a kid to having a group of people turn up at a race with black faces saying that they were my family. It’s sadly been a part of life.”

SYSTEM

He added: “Racism is something I’ve always spoken out about but there have been times when I felt that I was just pushing up against a system that was so big that it will never change and then in 2020 it happened.

“This year has been a really diffi cult one in so many ways and the constant stories of racial injustice have been traumatising for many of us, but as a community we have responded in a way that has been incredibly inspiring.

“In my life I’ve never seen so many people stand up and take a stand against injustice, and it is the power of our community holding mass protests and making their voice heard that sparked this global movement.”

He continued: “To be nominated as your number one most infl uential person in a year like this is not something I take lightly.

“I promise you that I’ll keep fi ghting alongside you until our voices are heard and until we live in the world that treats everyone equally no matter their background or the colour of their skin.

“So thank you again for this honour and I can’t wait to see what we can do together in 2021. ”

BARRIERS

Meanwhile Hamilton, always keen to assist future generations, with the Royal Academy of Engineering have announced the Board of Commissioners for The Hamilton Commission, a research project that will work to identify the key barriers to recruitment and progression of black people in UK motorsport, and provide actionable recommendations to overcome them.

The Hamilton Commission will be co-chaired by the world champion himself and Dr Hayaatun Sillem CBE, Hayaatun Sillem CBE, chief executive of the chief executive of the Royal Academy of Royal Academy of Engineering. Engineering. The Board of ComThe Board of Commissioners is an indemissioners is an independent group made pendent group made up of 14 experts and up of 14 experts and industry leaders from industry leaders from within the UK who within the UK who represent a range of represent a range of perspectives on the perspectives on the challenge. challenge. The CommisThe Commissioners have been sioners have been specially selected specially selected to represent a wide to represent a wide STAR POWER: Lewis Hamilton has now recorded 94 Grand Prix wins; with parents Anthony Hamilton and Carmen Larbalestier

range of expertise spanning critical areas of infl uence including motorsport, engineering, schools, colleges and universities, community and youth groups, as well as major UK political parties.

Each of the Commissioners will bring valuable expertise, knowledge and experience from their respective fi elds to The Hamilton Commission. Their responsibilities will be Their responsibilities will be to review and inform the research methodology; to exam-

What is concerning is that there are still very few people of colour across the sport

ine the research fi ndings and help identify the key challenges and opportunities facing young black people entering STEM careers, particularly in UK motorsport; and to advise on the fi nal actions and recommendations that result from the research.

Hamilton said of the move: “Since I began my professional “Since I began my professional racing career in Formula One 14 years ago, I was the only driver of colour and to this day, sadly, that is still the case.

“However, what is more concerning is that there are still very few people of colour across the sport as a whole.

“In F1, our teams are much bigger than the athletes that front them, but representation is insuffi cient across every skill set — from the garage to the engineers in the factories and design departments.

“We are dedicated to this cause and, together, we will make a change.”