Lewis Hamilton: Race an obstacle to making it in F1

Lewis Hamilton has highlighted that "the difference in race" was one of the biggest obstacles he faced whilst trying to break into professional motor racing.
In the BBC One documentary series, We Are England, the seven-time Formula One world champion spoke about the barriers which can often stand in the way of new drivers coming onto the track.
In 2021 Hamilton's non-profit organisation, the Hamilton Commission, estimated the proportion of black people in Formula One to be less than 1%.
Lewis Hamilton said: "There’s a lack of diversity through the top of big organisations and companies, all the way down. There’s very little black leadership."
The teenage drivers, who started out racing go-karts while still in primary school, were invited to speak with Hamilton at the Mercedes Formula One team HQ as they graduated to racing in professional race cars.
Their full story can be seen in the We Are England documentary Born To Race on BBC iPlayer.
The full We Are England series, which explores real stories from across the country, is available on BBC iPlayer.
Film by Stephen Mizelas and Eric Anderson.
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[@atlmorpheus]

Best of luck. I hope I live long enough to see them in an F1 car.

[@patrickedwards8303]

I've seen these two young talents before just not keeping up with their results, yet of meeting their idol and icon, shows just the support, Sir Lewis IS making a creative future of diversity to this sport. May we see these two future racers very soon 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👊🏿🇯🇲😁

[@dwaynediah4595]

think you Lewis Hamilton and Nicholas Hamilton for inspiring me

[@joeconcertshd3451]

I would have cried and gone on my knees if I were in that room and Lewis had walked in. Absolute legend

[@user-ue5pf7sj6k]

Pathetic

[@joeconcertshd3451]

@@user-ue5pf7sj6k Aww diddums

[@o0oStillWeRiseo0o]

GOAT

[@rosek7114]

'Money and obstacle to making it in F1' FIFY.

[@itswais77]

Won't race in formula 1 but you can try other categories

[@oscarbunting]

Vroom 🏎️🏁

[@TheLordHiggs]

There is a reason this video is on BBC London instead of BBC News. Scrap the licence fee. Or reduce it by 90% and keep BBC 1

[@Winn97]

LOVE FROM SACRAMENTO CALIFORNIA 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽

[@msa-tt4bg]

It would be interesting to see how an all, not-so-white team would get on.

[@WaelAli-sd8sw]

They're too old. The hiring people on ethnicity mentality has always been there and always will. What's changed is the level of technology and the ascetics of how people dress but the old mentality remains. That's what sad about it. I think the lads would have a better chances of success if they decided to become engineers. F1 has, and always will remain an exclusive club for the rich and that's what's killing the sport.

[@rosek7114]

"and that's what's killing the sport"... You mean the sport that's actually been booming the past few years?

[@barrydavies998]

If good enough anyone can do it with the right backing ... It's up to the individual to make themselves marketable ...Don't cry out for handouts and exemptions ... If you want it bad enough its down to you

[@liamthompson2604]

The purist in me wants to believe in your statement. I think in the past it was possible to do so because if you were exceptional you would get the backing. In the world of F1 today you need to the backed by somebody incredibly rich.

[@racerx2107]

Sir Hamilton the G.O.A.T and the 8 time world Champion

[@SiegfriedDerDrachentoter]

🤡 7x and should be 6

[@jmlaw8888]

Whine. Whine. Whine. Change the record please. Patience is wearing thin.

[@Moray2023]

So are older drivers hogging seats for way to Long.

[@reck1224]

As long as you are performing that’s ok. If you are like Alonso doing laps in 15th every race than it’s a problem.

[@nycty1813]

@@reck1224 there is no way you think alonso isnt overperforming for his age thats insane

[@AZBCDEE]

@@nycty1813 crylonso

[@nycty1813]

@@AZBCDEE dts fan

[@colors6692]

"Race an obstacle to making it in F1"? Hamilton: "No"

[@yedder7628]

We all know that life is much harder now then back then

[@familyiseverything1617]

What

[@juanstch6533]

Lewis is the best

[@gabood]

No other reason the bbc would make a video about F1 other than for a chance to virtue signal. Should have known

[@RogueCylon]

He’s not wrong on racism. Unless you find a Ron Dennis, F1 is very racist, with past and present drivers like Piquet, Villeneuve, Verstappen. Along with Ecclestone and Marko.

[@ollie311]

Load of nonsense we have a black man, 2 asians in f1 right now

[@dianamaioru497]

Oh you think that somehow evaporates all racism experienced by them not only leading up to F1, but currently in F1? That's not how it works.

[@AverageSneedEnjoyer]

There's a black man so everything's fine! He's just the only black F1 driver in history

[@liamthompson2604]

No we have never had a black man in F1. Lewis is bi-racial dude just like the two guys in this video clip.

[@rodrigo.lourenco0]

@@AverageSneedEnjoyer that is not true.

[@blackinton2526]

There is no black man

[@Super_Black1]

Stop using race as an excuse, F1 really is elitist, you can have great success in other series like Indy, WEC, GT and Rally. Just be fast everywhere and doors will open

[@littlecarmine4932]

We wuz F1 drivers and sheeeeit

[@lorddavidlawrence]

Racing racists dominate every F1 race.

[@anuma6217]

Wasn't an obstacle for Force India and their drivers, who were selected entirely because of their race not their credentials...

[@VISER_WRATH]

First😊

[@duncandisorderly6562]

Race hahaha 🤦‍♂️

[@obrien1982byron]

Oh shame they're such victims look how hard life is for them.

[@TheGreatMalu]

😂😂😂

[@user-ue5pf7sj6k]

I almost shed a tear

[@liamthompson2604]

Until you walk in their shoes and have followed their path you really are not qualified to know what type of life they have lived.

[@obrien1982byron]

@@liamthompson2604 oh yes of course look how much they're struggling but at least the BBC will do an expose on it which people like you just blindly follow. Very smart.

[@liamthompson2604]

@@obrien1982byron Would it be safe to assume that you have come from a privileged background with a silver spoon in your mouth?. Based solely on your appearance on your profile picture. Hmmm Very Smart. Just because they appear to look like they are not struggling doesn’t mean that they have not faced adversity. Your ignorance and narrow mindedness is exactly why people like you do not have a clue. I suspect their experience in Motorsport is not too dissimilar to the discrimination Lewis has faced. However just because Lewis and those two young men do not appear to be struggling financially they are still not open to racial discrimination and abuse by your reasoning. Stick to speaking about subject matters you actually know about because you are not educated enough to understand this subject matter with all due respect.