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Lewis Hamilton Leading The Way
Formula 1 predominantly a white man's sport.
Congratulations to 21-year-old Lewis Hamilton who has been chosen to race alongside reigning world champion Fernando Alonso next season.
Lewis who is of mixed racial parentage already has an impressive career in Formula 1 and hopes to open up the sport to a new audience.
When asked if he saw himself as a trailblazer for Afro-Caribbean drivers, Lewis said the only time he really thought about it was when other people mentioned it and that he felt like any of the other drivers out there.
The media have already made something of Lewis' mixed background and it's been said that he may do for Formula 1 what Tiger Woods has done for golf.
McLaren boss Ron Dennis thinks Lewis' racial background is immaterial: ‘We're very aware of the ability for Lewis's colour to be used as a headline or certainly contained within the first sentence of any of the stories that will be published," said Ron. "But for us, it's just immaterial. He's been in the McLaren-Mercedes family for nine years.
Lewis did think it was a positive portrayal though and said: 'hopefully it can be of some influence and can encourage other ethnic groups to get involved in the sport. People that can relate to the path that I've taken will see that it's possible and will try also to get into the sport.'
Formula 1 has been predominantly a white man's sport since the championship started in 1950, however there have been several Asian drivers including Narain Karthikeyan the first Indian to race in Formula 1 in 2005.
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