Lewis Hamilton addresses US President Donald Trump's attack on diversity initiatives
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton claimed that he would not change his stance on diversity, despite US President Donald Trump's attack on several initiatives. For the past couple of years, the British driver has been at the forefront of introducing a culture of diversity and inclusivity at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Despite making his debut in 2007, the seven-time F1 world champion is still the only driver of color. Hamilton, along with his former team, Mercedes, and the sport's current owners, Liberty Media, has taken significant steps to create a more inclusive environment in F1 that represents the current state of the world.
However, Trump and his government announced that they would consider withdrawing federal funding from institutions such as education if they do not shut down their diversity initiatives. It included admissions and scholarships, amongst others.
Speaking with Time Magazine, Lewis Hamilton refused to budge from his path and said:
“I’m not going to change what he does, or the government does. All I can do is try to make sure that in my space, in my environment, I’m trying to elevate people. There’s going to be forces along the way that don’t want that, for whatever reason I can’t fathom. That doesn’t stop me. It is a fight that we’ll just keep fighting.”
Lewis Hamilton's new team principal Frederic Vasseur also commented about taking a path of diversity and added:
“It’s not politically correct, but first is performance,” he says. “I’m keen to go into the direction of diversity and so on. We are doing our best effort. We are trying to push in this direction, but I want to build up the best team.”
The 40-year-old ended his ties with Mercedes in the 2024 season to begin his tenure with the Italian team in 2025.
Lewis Hamilton chimes in on being apprehensive of his move to Ferrari
Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton accepted that he was a bit apprehensive about his move to the Italian team due to the passionate fan base in the country, which had previously not been welcoming for athletes of color.
As quoted by the aforementioned source, the 105-time race winner delved into his concerns and said:
“I’m not going to lie, it definitely crossed my mind when I was thinking about my decision. Like in so many things, it’s often such a small group of people that set that trend for many. I don’t think that it’s going to be a problem.”
However, the Brit's welcome in the Ferrari environment has not been anything short of spectacular as the Tifosi has embraced him as one of its own, which was evidenced by his first test in Fiorano when the fans flocked in the thousands.