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Lewis Hamilton may be Formula One’s most successful driver but after securing a record-equaling seventh world title on Sunday the Briton said he still had plenty left to achieve – namely making his sport and the world “more diverse and inclusive.”
A brilliant drive during a rain-soaked Turkish Grand Prix ensured Hamilton not only won the race – for a record-extending 94th Grand Prix victory – but also equaled Michael Schumacher’s tally of seven world titles, the one remaining record of the German great that the Englishman has not yet surpassed.
In an Instagram post after his historic feat, Hamilton said the coronavirus pandemic had given him a chance to “really think about my ultimate purpose.”
“Seven World Championships means the world to me, I can’t even describe how much, but there’s still another race we’ve yet to win,” the post read.
“This year I’ve been driven not just by my desire to win on the track, but by a desire to help push our sport, and our world to become more diverse and inclusive. I promise you I am not going to stop fighting for change. We have a long way to go but I will continue to push for equality within our sport, and within the greater world we live in.
“Equaling Michael Schumacher’s record puts a spotlight on me that I know won’t be here forever. So, while you’re here, paying attention, I want to ask everyone to do their part in helping to create a more equal world. Let’s be more accepting and kinder to each other. Let’s make it so that opportunity is not something that is dependent on background or skin colour.”
No driver in the sport’s history has won as many races, secured as many pole positions or finished on the podium as many times as Hamilton. He is widely expected to add to his tally of world titles – saying on the podium after the race that he felt “like I’m only just getting started” – and his place in F1’s pantheon has long since been assured.
He is the face of F1, but also its voice and conscience and has used his stature like no other F1 world champion. F1’s first and only Black world champion in its 70-year history, this year he became one of sport’s leading voices in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
With Hamilton being a force for change, Mercedes – famous for its silver livery – unveiled an all-black car for this season in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, with the drivers wearing black uniforms and the halos of both cars featuring the call to “End Racism.”
The Briton’s own incredible story – his father, Anthony, juggled three jobs, re-mortgaged the family home and dipped into his life savings to keep his son in karting – is an example of how notoriously difficult the sport is to enter, mainly because of the financial costs involved.
Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Hamilton said: “It is no secret that I have walked this sport alone as the only person of color here.
“The fact is I am bi-racial … and there is colorism that people should perhaps read about.
“When I was younger I didn’t have anybody in the sport that looked like me so it was easy to think that’s not possible to get there because nobody of your colour has ever been there, you don’t see any Black people in F1.
“But hopefully this sends a message to the kids that are watching … that it doesn’t matter where you come from, whatever your background, it is so important to you to dream big.
“You can create your own path and that is what I have been able to do, and it has been so tough. Tough doesn’t even describe how hard it has been.”
Immediately after the race, Hamilton sat in his car with his head buried in his hands and struggled to hold back the tears.
“Very rarely do I lose control of my emotions but I remember those last few laps and I was just telling myself to keep it together,” Hamilton told reporters.
“When I came across the line it really hit me and I just burst into tears.
“I didn’t want the visor to come up and people to see the tears because I always would say you will never see me cry. I remember watching other drivers cry in the past, and I was like, I am never going to do that, but it was too much.”
Hamilton needed to finish eight points ahead of his teammate Valtteri Bottas to secure the title at Istanbul Park. He did so with ease, lapping the Finn who crossed the line in 14th to collect zero points.
Driving in the same Mercedes machinery, Bottas’ performance illustrated just how superior a talent Hamilton is. No one has come close to challenging the world champion during this truncated season and he secured the title with three races still remaining, having won four races in a row and 10 of 14 races so far this year.
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Lewis Hamilton has become accustomed to making history and, at a rain-soaked Turkish Grand Prix, the Englishman put his name in the record books once again as he equaled Michael Schumacher’s record of seven world titles.
To win Formula One’s drivers’ championship at Istanbul Park, the Mercedes driver needed to finish ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas and did so with ease in often treacherous conditions, securing a fourth successive title by winning the race after starting sixth.
Last month Hamilton, 35, surpassed Schumacher’s all-time record of 91 Grand Prix wins to become the sport’s most successful racer and had long since broken the German’s career pole-positions record.
Should he remain in the sport, Hamilton will be widely expected to add to his tally of world titles. But, whatever he achieves in the years ahead, his place in F1’s pantheon is assured.
“For all the kids out there who dream the impossible, you can do it too – I believe in you guys,” said Hamilton on his radio after crossing the finishing line for his 94th Grand Prix win.
It was a brilliant drive from one of the all-time greats. After poor practice and qualifying sessions this weekend, question marks were raised as to whether Hamilton could win in Turkey. In wet conditions, it was Hamilton’s decisive call on tyres which ultimately proved pivotal, with the Mercedes driver taking control halfway through the race.
After victory was achieved, Hamilton embraced his team and, with tears in his eyes, told Sky Sports he was “lost for words.”
“I have to start with saying such a huge thank you to all the guys that are here, and all the guys that are back at the factory … I wouldn’t be able to do this if I didn’t join this team and the journey we’ve been on has been monumental,” he said.
“I want to say a big thanks to team LH for sticking with me all these years, and to my family. We dreamed of this when I was young and this is way, way beyond our dreams.”
Hamilton, who has equaled a record many thought was untouchable when Schumacher won his seventh title in 2004, received congratulatory messages from his fellow drivers, sports stars from around the world and the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
“Massively deserved,” tweeted former world champion Nico Rosberg, a former Mercedes teammate of Hamilton and one of the few drivers to finish ahead of Hamilton in the championship during the Briton’s 14-year career.
Former Manchester United and England footballer Rio Ferdinand tweeted that his compatriot was the “greatest sportsman this country has ever produced – no doubts.”
Johnson tweeted: “An impressive victory – well done @LewisHamilton! You have made us all so proud.”
Racing Point’s Sergio Perez finished over 31 seconds behind Hamilton in second, while Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was third. In finishing 14th, Bottas – the only man who could have denied Hamilton the title – was lapped by his teammate and finished with no points.
Driving in the same Mercedes machinery, Bottas’ performance illustrated just how superior a talent Hamilton is. No one has come close to challenging the world champion during this truncated season and he secured the title with three races still remaining, having won four races in a row and 10 of 14 races so far this year.
No driver has been as successful on the track as Hamilton, and no F1 world champion has used his stature like Hamilton, the sport’s first and only Black world champion in its 70-year history.
The 35-year-old has long been the face of his sport – his domination and heart-on-sleeve personality has made him arguably the most recognizable British sportsman on the planet – but, in 2020 especially, he became one of British sport’s leading voices supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and, consequently, his sport’s voice too.
Ahead of the Turkish Grand Prix, Hamilton said campaigning for equal rights had made him “much prouder” than the prospect of a seventh world title.
But as the checkered flag was waved, it became clear how much this title meant this once-in-a-generation talent.
“My whole life I probably have, secretly, dreamt as high as this but it felt so far fetched. Seven is just unimaginable,” Hamilton said on the podium.
“I feel like I’m only just getting started, it’s really weird. I feel physically in great shape and mentally, this year, has been the hardest probably for millions of people.
“I know things always look great from here on the big stage, (but) It’s no different for us athletes. This has been a challenge, I didn’t know how to get through. I managed to keep my head above water and stay focused … “
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Lewis Hamilton says he remains undeterred in his fight against racial injustice. His comments came as the FIA, motorsport’s global governing body, announced it will not investigate the Formula One champion for wearing a T-shirt honoring Breonna Taylor at the Tuscan Grand Prix.
Hamilton, a six-time world champion who claimed the 90th race win of his career on Sunday, wore a T-shirt with the words “ARREST THE COPS WHO KILLED BREONNA TAYLOR” on the front, and “SAY HER NAME” above a photo of Taylor on the back, before the race and at the podium ceremony.
Having originally said it would be considering the matter, the FIA will instead clarify its guidelines as to what will be permitted for drivers and teams both pre and post-race.
The FIA is aiming to put these guidelines in place ahead of the next race of the 2020 season which is scheduled to take place in Sochi, Russia on September 27.
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“Want you to know I won’t stop, I won’t let up, I won’t give up on using this platform to shed light on what I believe is right,” Hamilton wrote on Instagram.
“I want to thank those of you who continue to support me and show love, I am so grateful.
“But this is a journey for all of us to come together and challenge the world on every level of injustice, not only racial
“We can help make this a better place for our kids and the future generations.”
READ: These were the Black victims Naomi Osaka honored on face masks
Taylor was fatally shot in her Louisville home in March as three plainclothes police officers executed a “no-knock” warrant.
Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is conducting an investigation into the incident and the FBI is investigating whether Taylor’s civil rights were violated. Taylor’s mother has filed a lawsuit in civil court against the three officers identified in connection with her daugher’s death.
No officer has been charged with a crime. Two of the officers remain on the force, while a third was fired and is appealing to get his job back.
“It’s been 6 months since Breonna Taylor was murdered by policemen, in her own home. Still no justice has been served. We won’t stay silent,” Hamilton posted on Twitter on Sunday, alongside photos of himself wearing the T-shirt.
He also added in a post-race conference: “It took me a long time to get that shirt and I’ve been wanting to wear that and bring awareness to the fact that there’s people that have been killed on the street and there’s someone that got killed in her own house.
“We have to continue to raise awareness … I think we just have to continue to push on the issue.”
The 35-year-old has been a powerful voice during the Black Lives Matter movement by calling on motorsport to do more to combat racism and attending a BLM protest in London earlier this year.
He has also announced plans to set up a commission in his name to increase diversity in motorsport.
Victory at the Tuscan GP means Hamilton is now one short of equaling Michael Schumacher’s record of 91 race wins in F1.
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Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel will remain in Formula One after signing a deal with the Racing Point team, which will rebrand itself as Aston Martin from next season.
There had been some doubt as to whether the German would continue in F1 after Ferrari announced in May that McLaren’s Carlos Sainz would be taking his seat.
However, Sergio Perez announced on Wednesday that he would be leaving Racing Point at the end of the current season, despite having a deal until 2022, opening up a space on the grid.
“I’m extremely proud to say that I will become an Aston Martin driver in 2021,” Vettel said in a statement. “It’s a new adventure for me with a truly legendary car company. I have been impressed with the results the team has achieved this year and I believe the future looks even brighter.
“The energy and commitment of Lawrence [Stroll, Racing Point part-owner] to the sport is inspiring and I believe we can build something very special together.
READ: Ferrari records worst home qualifying performance since 1984
F1: Leclerc opens up about rivalry with Vettel
“I still have so much love for Formula 1 and my only motivation is to race at the front of the grid. To do so with Aston Martin will be a huge privilege.”
Vettel won four consecutive world titles with Red Bull between 2010 and 2013, but his driving has been plagued by errors in recent times. In 2018, several mistakes in the second half of the season saw Vettel squander the championship lead and Ferrari’s chance of a first world title since 2007.
The 33-year-old was signed by Ferrari with the aim of ending that championship drought, but the emergence of exciting young driver Charles Leclerc eventually meant Vettel was no longer considered the number one driver.
Vettel is 13th in the drivers’ standings, having recorded just 16 points so far this season, and sits 29 points behind teammate Leclerc.
READ: Ferrari implodes as Leclerc and Vettel collide
However, in terms of victories, Vettel is the third most successful in the sport’s history, behind only Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton,
Racing Point said the Vettel deal “is a clear statement of the team’s ambition to establish itself as one of the most competitive names in the sport.”
“Everybody at Silverstone is hugely excited by this news,” Team Principal Otmar Szafnauer said in a statement. “Sebastian is a proven champion and brings a winning mentality that matches our own ambitions for the future as Aston Martin F1 Team.
“On a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, Sebastian is one of the best in the world, and I can’t think of a better driver to help take us into this new era. He will play a significant role in taking this team to the next level.”
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Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has announced he will have a team competing in the inaugural all-electric off-road racing Extreme E series next year.
Extreme E is a series founded by the same team behind Formula E, with races hosted across the globe to promote electrification, sustainability and equality.
Its maiden season will be staged in five remote locations which have already been damaged or affected by climate issues, including the Arctic and the Amazon, raising awareness of climate change.
Hamilton, 35, called the opportunity to have his own team an “exciting new project” and said the series appealed to him because of its “environmental focus.”
“Every single one of us has the power to make a difference, and it means so much to me that I can use my love of racing, together with my love for our planet, to have a positive impact,” he said in a statement.
“I’m looking forward to the team taking part in this new series and I think it’s incredible that we can do so whilst raising awareness about the climate crisis.”
The six-time world champion’s team, X44, is named in reference to his F1 racing number and will enter season one of the Extreme E Championship. The first X Prix race is scheduled to take place in early 2021.
READ: The 13-year-old aiming to become Ferrari’s first female Formula 1 driver
Hamilton has long been an advocate for a greener world. In a series of messages posted on his Instagram account last year, he labeled the world a “mess” and wrote that he felt like “giving up on everything” before encouraging everyone to go vegan.
Extreme E will work with scientific experts from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge to raise awareness on specific issues, such as rising carbon emissions, melting ice caps, deforestation, desertification, droughts, plastic pollution and rising sea levels.
Each race will incorporate two laps over a distance of approximately 16 kilometers (10 miles), with two drivers – one male and one female – completing a lap apiece.
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Races will not be open to spectators, to minimize the effect on the environment, with fans instead following the action on TV.
The command center for the championship series will be on board the RMS St. Helena, a ship undergoing a multi-million euro transformation to minimize emissions and transform her into the championship’s operations hub.
X44 is the seventh team to sign up, joining Chip Ganassi Racing, Andretti Autosport, Abt, HWA, Techeetah, QEV Technologies, and fellow British-owned outfit, Veloce Racing.
