When most people think of Formula One, they think of Lewis Hamilton. Considered by many to be one of the best, if not the best, drivers the open-wheel single-seater formula racing division has ever seen. He is tied with Michael Schumacher for the most Formula One Championships, with seven, and holds numerous other records, including the most career pole positions and the most career points.
Championing Many Causes
Off the grid, Hamilton is a champion for multiple causes including fighting climate change. His charity, Mission 44, aims to empower young people from marginalized groups, leveling the playing field against the same institutional inequality that he and his father fought against to establish his career.
Caribbean Roots
In 2021, Hamilton was knighted in celebration of his achievements. Despite all of these accolades, he has never strayed from his roots. His father, Anthony Hamilton, was born in Grenada and the pair still have family who reside in the Caribbean country. In 2016, he visited the country to reconnect with this side of his culture. “The Caribbean feels just as much like home as the UK does,” he explained in a caption posted to his Facebook. “A big part of my heritage and family is here.”
Free from Racism in Grenada
Despite his accolades, Hamilton remains a polarizing figure within the sport, simply due to his race. Formula One is not only a predominantly white sport, Hamilton is to date, the first and only Black driver to compete in the division let alone win multiple championships. Fans of other drivers, professionals within the sports, and even many of his countrymen, have lobbed racist remarks his way under the guise of criticism. It’s no surprise that Hamilton has found his stays in Grenada to be therapeutic. “I would say where I always felt more comfortable was when I went back to Grenada, where my grandad and my grandma lived and some of my aunties lived there, some cousins. There were always people that looked like me. I was never told to go home to my country, and I never experienced racism there or discrimination.”
