Lewis Hamilton represents an exception in the history of Formula 1, being the only one color pilot to have taken part in an official GP in Circus. A paradoxical fact when compared to other sports, and to which Hamilton himself tries to provide answers through the Commission which bears his name, founded in 2020 with the aim of generating greater equality in motorsport. To this, in addition, the number 44 set up a charitable association, renamed Ignite and created in collaboration with Mercedes.
Initiatives that have prompted other riders to share or join the seven-time world champion’s projects, starting with Jacky Ickx. The 77-year-old Belgian, winner of 8 GPs in Formula 1 (but above all a six-time winner in the 24 Hours of Le Mans), spoke on the channel Twitch by Peter Windsor, former team manager of Williams and Ferrari, thus commenting on Hamilton’s sensitivity to these issues: “Lewis is an amazing champion who drives for a fantastic team like Mercedes – has explained – the two together are a fantastic partnership and have won everything. But Lewis is special in two ways: for becoming the kind of driver he’s wanted all his life, training for it and setting all possible records, but she’s also the first person who engaged with great interest to defend the movement Black Lives Matter, for example. It’s unique in that respect.”
Very emotional words from the former Ferrari driver, despite the fact that the latter has never met Hamilton in person: “I’ve tried to meet him several times, and I wish I had the chance to do it once – hopes Ickx – I would tell him: ‘Lewis, you were one of the greatest champions, but you were the first in F1 to defend the rights of the black community, so I don’t know what the most important quality is.’ If I had to sort out his hits or the his activism in the first position, I’d be tempted to put the latter first. I wish I had the chance to meet him one day, because I like the idea of telling him how I feel and even more how the black community feels towards him. Because I know several Africans and they think he is a fantastic ambassador for the African community.”
Reconnecting the African community to his past as a driver, Ickx finally recalled the social changes that have taken place from the 60s and 70s to today, i.e. from the period in which F1 flew in South Africa to compete in the GP in Kyalami, despite the fact that the country was still tormented by racial discrimination andApartheid: “At the time, I didn’t know anyone who found that totally unacceptable – he recalled – only a few people knew about it, but we went there without noticing to run, e luckily those things have changed. At that time, when colonialism was slowly dying out, only a few people cared about it, and that included me too. I was happy to go to Kyalami because life was good, but I have to admit that I saw that there was a separate toilet for blacks, one for whites.’
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