“Out of 70 People, Only 2 Were Women and 2 Were Black”: Lewis Hamilton Calls Out Lack of Diversity in F1

Lewis Hamilton has always been a staunch supporter of equality. His work for social causes has been recognized on numerous occasions, with the bestowing of the knighthood one of them. Being the only Black driver on the F1 circuit does offer him a perspective no one else can really offer.

Aside from all the good things happening in F1, we must also notice and speak up about the not-so-good ones. With the curtains being closed on the W Series prematurely this season, the issue of lack of gender parity at the top of Formula racing has come up.

Speaking to Motorsport, “We need higher positions in F1, equality, and transparency in those positions. When I look at the garages of the teams, almost all the staff are white men. Although there are women among them, they mostly work in the background. We need to bring them to the fore more so the young girls watching can know that it’s possible for them to be here,” said Hamilton.

He also added, “So at the pilots meeting last night, out of about 70 people there, only 2 were women and 2 were black. If you’re still seeing the same thing in this sport 15 years later, it’s really a contrast. So we need to not only support and draw attention to young girls trying to compete but also to guide 8,000 girls into science, technology, engineering, math, and motorsports.” (Translated via Google)

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Lewis raises important questions about where the future of the sport is heading if it continues to see such stark differences in representation. More drivers and teams need to speak up about this for changes to come into place. Will it happen? Hopefully, yes.

With the W Series crunch, Lewis Hamilton believes more needs to be done

The W Series was started in 2019, and only 3 seasons have been completed (counting 2022 as a complete season) since the 2020 season could not be held due to the pandemic.

The 2022 season had to be curtailed prematurely due to a funding crunch. Jamie Chadwick was declared the winner for the 3rd season in a row. The remaining races at Austin and Mexico City had to consequently be canceled. W Series however remain buoyant as they have received prospective funding support for next season.

It is also reported that F1 is working for a new championship under the F4 umbrella in order to promote grassroots female drivers. Hamilton, while lauding the decision, believes there still remains a lot to be done. He said, “It’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

“But it’s not about finding a female driver. There are thousands of jobs here, but very, very few positions for women.”

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To have to cut a season short because of a lack of funds shows how desperately female motorsports needs support. With the amount of attraction, F1 has gained over the last few years, it is hard to defend the lack of funding for the W Series. It depicts a lack of will – which needs to be changed.