Officially taking the F1 wheel at the tender age of 22 the first time, Lewis Hamilton proved to everybody why he was a racing prodigy. Lewis was always destined for greatness. However, we might have never witnessed the brilliance of Sir Lewis due to a childhood incident. The incident could have ended Lewis’s career before it even began.
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Lewis Hamilton announced his arrival at the pinnacle of motorsport in some style. He finished on the podium in his first-ever F1 race. Furthermore, as of 2022, he is the only black driver on the grid. Hamilton thrashed several records in his debut season with McLaren. Unfortunately, he fell short of just 1 point in the championship against Kimi Raikkonen.
Although, he went on to win the title in yet another dramatic fashion the following year. The McLaren driver beat Felipe Massa by 1 point to become the then-youngest F1 winner in history. However, we might have never witnessed the excellence of Lewis Hamilton because of an incident that happened with the Stevenage boy when he was in school.
In 2007, Lewis revealed, “My career nearly ended before it had started because of a case of mistaken identity. I was not involved in the attack but knew the boys involved. My career was on the line for something I didn’t do. I’m so careful not to ruin what I’ve got.”
Back in 2001, Lewis faced expulsion from his school. Lewis was wrongly accused of kicking a fellow pupil. However, an inquiry concluded that he was falsely identified and allowed back in school.
READ MORE: Lewis Hamilton Blasts the FIA for Major Blunder: “That’s Not a Good Narrative To Be Putting Out”
Lewis Hamilton partners with Sky to launch a new school initiative for the underprivileged children
7-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton has partnered with the Sky group to launch a new initiative. Hamilton’s ‘Mission 44’ charitable foundation is looking to create a more inclusive education system, with Sky pledging $1m over the course of a two-year period.
So proud of this work. Thank you to the students and teachers for having me. #WorldTeachersDay https://t.co/0DX8pyh2uN
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) October 5, 2022
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Hamilton said, “Having experienced unfair exclusions during my time at school, I understand how upsetting and stressful it can be.”
He further added that when he launched Mission 44 last year, implementing such initiatives was a personal priority for him. “Through this partnership, I hope we can deliver meaningful change by arming schools with the proper strategies to support and empower young Black students instead of giving up on them.”
The Mercedes driver wants to educate underprivileged children. With his foundation, Lewis aims to reduce school exclusion rates, improve the trajectories of excluded students, and discover what support learners need. He wants to create career insight programs for these students as well.
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It would have been a disgrace if the world had never witnessed the amazing talent of Sir Lewis. The Silver Arrows driver is arguably one of the greatest of all time. Which is your favorite Lewis Hamilton moment on and off track?