Lewis Hamilton says F1 needs a change from ‘white male’ team owners

Lewis Hamilton has often spoken up on representation of various communities.

Lewis Hamilton says F1 needs a change from ‘white male’ team owners

Lewis Hamilton (via IMAGO)

F1 has one of the richest histories any sport has in the world. But that history is far from diverse since the field has been only dominated by European or American white men. Mercedes legend Lewis Hamilton, who is currently the only black driver on the grid (including the reserve drivers) has once again opened up on lack of diversity in F1. This comes shortly after FIA announced Andretti to be the 11th team in F1.

Hamilton says F1 should take this opportunity to introduce more diversity in the sport. According to him, F1 should set certain criteria in place which would push Andretti into making changes. One of his suggestions was the introduction of a female driver. Hamilton said that there should be diversity in a team from the top management.

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“Really make sure that if there is a new team, they have to be diverse. They have to perhaps create an opportunity for a female driver to come through. And it has to be diverse from the top up. At the moment, it’s all white owners. And there’s a real lack of diversity from the top down. It’s all male, and that needs to change,” said Hamilton, as per Racing News 365.

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Hamilton then expressed his faith in the F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. He said that being a former racer, Domenicali knows what is right for the sport and is working towards achieving it. F1 made huge progress in their diversification when Jessica Hawkins became the first woman since 2018 to drive an Aston Martin F1 car recently.

Also read: WATCH: “Always been a gentleman”- Fans cherish an old clip of Lewis Hamilton helping Susie Wolff open the champagne bottle on the podium

Lewis Hamilton reveals his post-retirement plans

Lewis Hamilton will turn 39-years-old in January. His two-year extension with Mercedes will see him to be on the grid till he is 41. While he may be sticking around for a longer time than that, Hamilton has revealed what he plans to do once he takes his hand off the wheel once and for all.

Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton. (Credits: Sky Sports)

He clarified that he won’t join any other forms of racing like many F1 drivers have done. He said that he loves superbikes and is an avid fan of MotoGP. He also expressed his liking of 24 hours at Le Mans. He said that while he won’t engage in anything professionally, he will continue with parachuting and surfing.

“I think I’ll ride motorbikes, but not competitively. I’ve got lots of other things to do, I don’t think I’ll be doing any more competitions, at least not as a professional. It takes too much time,” said the Mercedes driver.

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