Success is not always the key to happiness. Debuting in Formula 1 and winning the World Cup are the two highest of any driver who wants to dedicate himself to motorsport, however, for Lewis Hamilton it was not enough. In a recent interview with the ‘Wall Street Journal’, the Mercedes driver confessed the reason why he decided to take the surrenders of his life and carry out a radical change that has been noticed a lot in recent years. Of wanting to go unnoticed, now, the British is one of the most recognized pilots for his social work and, how can I forget, for converting the paddock of the Big circus in all a model show every grand prize Thursday. Simply showing himself what he is like and what he likes.
Hamilton is no longer hiding. His personal change is more noticeable than ever and his confidence has increased over the years, as well as his number of triumphs worldwide. At 36, fighting for his eighth crown with Max Verstappen, The Briton confesses everything he had to go through in his first years in Formula 1 to find a place and, above all, get the respect that everyone deserves in their life. In the same talk with the American medium, Lewis remembers the episodes of racism that he experienced by many fans, especially in their entry into the competition.
Remembered are the embarrassing comments that were heard in the 2008 preseason tests, in Barcelona, when some of the fans addressed Hamilton with racist insults. The pilot arrived, just a year before, to the competition, hand in hand with Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, keeping company with a Fernando Alonso who was already two-time world champion. “I remember the first year I entered this sport and I suffered racism from the public and nobody said anything”, Lewis comments, in memory of those comments that crossed him out because of the color of his skin.
And he suffered it so much that, despite achieving what he had always dreamed of, he confessed that he could not enjoy it as he really deserved. “I was not happy. I had gotten my dream, but it wasn’t me, it couldn’t be me and I didn’t have the confidence in myself back then, so I just kept quiet. We repress so many things that we do not realize the pain we experience “, added the British, who came to think that he was the problem and had to “adjust to how people wanted him to be”, with which “he was not comfortable”.
His fight against racism
The passing of the years has made Lewis Hamilton a benchmark in the Formula 1 paddock. Not because of his championships, ambition, work or talent, if not for being one of those people who always say what they think and that he does not shy away from showing his struggle for various social causes, to raise the voice of those who cannot, to be critical and give visibility to many movements on a platform as giant as F1. In fact, it is already common to see him dressed in shirts that always carry a message, especially with his great struggle: racism. “A year or two ago I was flipping through photos of the team party and I realized that the teams are still white. I wondered how this could be after so much time has passed, “confessed the spearhead of the Mercedes team.
“Everything that happened after George’s death (Floyd, at the hands of an American policeman), it hit me hard. I couldn’t believe so many people were still quiet about what had happened. “ explained about the movement Black Lives Matter, With which every weekend he has a wink and with which he managed to promote a campaign in the hands of the FIA and the entire World Championship paddock. “I’m willing to take the risk now. Whether it’s my job or my reputation, I don’t care. I want the black community to know that I am listening and that I am behind them “, confesses Hamilton. And it is that, despite his great work and unfortunately, this fight still has a long way to go.
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