Lewis Hamilton has been a phenomenal personality on and off the race track. On the track, he is the most accomplished racer in F1 history. Albeit, Hamilton and his team have lost their grip on the title for a couple of years. However, the seven-time champion has a very active life outside the sport. He is a good businessman who owns a fashion brand and a film production house, shares ownership of an NFL team, and many more activities. Other than his impressive business ventures, Lewis Hamilton is a philanthropist as well. But the 38-year-old champion is famous mainly for taking a stand against racism and any social evil or injustice.
The Mercedes driver has made this his life’s mission to fight for equality everywhere in the world. However, to get where he is today and to be able to help the oppressed and the suppressed to have a voice of their own, Hamilton had to prove his mettle in what he does for a living. He won the 2008 F1 championship driving for McLaren but then had a tough time winning a title for a long time. It was in 2013 when Hamilton joined Mercedes, which triggered the greatest success story in F1 to follow. However, looking at the current situation, that looks like a distant past.
Lewis Hamilton Talked About Niki Lauda And His Fight For Equality
In a recent interview for the official YouTube channel of Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton walked down memory lane. The seven-time champion shared how his mentor, Niki Lauda, the F1 great, taught him about life and the sport. Lewis mentioned how his mentor would react if he did a good or a bad job. Hamilton said, “Niki would take his hat off if I did a good job. And if I did not, he would make a gesture with his hand to say basically, ‘Give me my money back.‘” Lewis Hamilton showed his respect and admiration for his mentor even after so many years of Lauda’s passing away.
The Briton acknowledged that Niki Lauda is still a crucial part of the team’s spirit. He described how emotional the 2019 Monaco race victory was for him. Hamilton dedicated that victory to his mentor. In that same interview, the seven-time champ expressed the idea behind wearing a rainbow-colored helmet. It is essential for Hamilton to spread the Right to Equality to women and LGBTQ communities everywhere in the world, especially in the Middle East. He is even ready to go to jail for his fight for equality. Moreover, Lewis Hamilton wonders why even today, there are so many obstacles before people’s Right to Freedom.
Mercedes Star Fighting Against Racism But For His Team
The seven-time champion has always been kind of a flag-bearer or a whistleblower in the fight against racism and social injustice, especially in F1 Motorsport. He wore many different t-shirts to mark a protest for a cause. “Black Lives Matter” and “Fight Against Racism” are a few of the popular t-shirts Hamilton wore on the track.
Other than his fight against racism, Lewis Hamilton is also fighting for his team, Mercedes, to get back to winning ways. At the previous Grand Prix in Australia, the seven-time champion earned his 192nd podium finish. It was the first podium finish of the German team this season. Hamilton mentions the team is beginning to take his suggestions again about what he needs in the car to regain the confidence to go full throttle.