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Lewis Hamilton understands suggestion of racism behind criticism but celebrates in 'bringing people together'
Fresh from a record sixth British Grand Prix win, which ended with the Union flag fluttering from his car, Lewis Hamilton admitted he could understand Rio Ferdinand’s view that “racist undertones” were driving persistent criticisms of his commitment to his country. But rather than inflaming the former England defender’s provocative remark, which came after a question at Silverstone about his perceived lack of Britishness, the five-time world champion spoke passionately of his efforts to become a unifying figure in sport and society.
“I grew up watching Rio, so it was awesome to have his support,” said Hamilton, whose emotional Silverstone triumph took him 39 points clear in the world championship. “I can understand his opinion, and he has the right to that. Every day is an opportunity to elevate, to shine, and to do something new. My mum is white and my dad is black – I have the best of both worlds. I have supporters from all religions, all different ethnic backgrounds, and I love that I am a part of bringing people together.”
The symmetry with England’s World Cup-winning cricketers, who have drawn such strength from their cultural diversity, was unmistakeable. Hamilton had been asked at his home race about his struggle for wider acceptance in Britain, with attention drawn to his Monaco residence and even his mid-Atlantic accent, but Ferdinand, a frequent guest at grands prix, leapt to his defence.
“When he lifts the titles, he is reported as very British, but throughout the year, on the way to winning, his patriotism is questioned – why?” Ferdinand wrote on Instagram. “Was Jenson Button’s Britishness ever questioned for living in Monaco? Not a chance. I will tell you why, because he looked, sounded, dressed and walked similar to the people who raise these questions of Hamilton. The level of disrespect and racist undertones should not be underestimated.”
Hamilton had over 40 members of his family at Silverstone to toast his latest piece of history, from the sides of both his mother, Carmen, and father, Anthony, who is of Grenadian descent. “A bunch of them are over from the Caribbean,” he said. “When I won, I was looking the whole time for a flag. One day, I’ll look back and have that picture of me in the car with the flag, and I’ll be able to smile until my dying day.”
Not that Hamilton shows any sign of relenting just yet. At 34, he is streaking away in his pursuit of a sixth world title, with seven wins in his first 10 races. Over 140,000 people savoured another consummate performance at Silverstone, and Hamilton explained how much such a vast cross-section of support meant to him. “I have fans who have met each other at a race, proposed in front of my car,” he said. “I have fans from all around the world, who have connected with people in their cities they would never have met before without me being here. For that I am really, really proud. I am just going to keep going.”
This year, his only conceivable rival is his Mercedes team-mate, Valtteri Bottas, with whom he enjoyed a compelling tussle in the early laps, before taking the lead thanks to an astutely-timed pit stop. The challenge of Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, though, was nowhere to be seen, after the German continued his litany of misjudgments by colliding with Max Verstappen. Hamilton acknowledged that the lack of a true fight with the Scuderia, who have fallen short of expectations for three years running, was a regret.
“I wish the battle today was with the Ferraris,” he said. “It’s different when you’re racing within a team, and I much, much prefer it when you’re racing with the Red Bulls and Ferraris, but currently that’s not how it is.”
If he had looked serene en route to his landmark British win, he appeared even more at ease with his abilities as he looked towards the rest of this Formula One campaign, which resumes at Hockenheim, Mercedes’ home track, in a fortnight’s time. “Every year you get a bit more comfortable within yourself, and within the methods you use,” said Hamilton, the champion in four of the past five seasons. “My trust in the car is incredibly high. I know what the car is able to do, so I guess the experience of last year has given me more confidence to push it further.”
That represented a daunting warning to the rest of the paddock, with Mercedes having already completed an astonishing seven one-two finishes in 2019. Hamilton is in the finest purple patch of his career, as he emphasised by waiting until the very end at Silverstone to set the fastest lap on shredded hard tyres, shocking even his team principal, Toto Wolff. The only question now is how much higher he can go.
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