Lewis Hamilton Had a Flashback to a Traumatic Childhood Experience as He Won His 7th Formula 1 Title
Lewis Hamilton easily ranks among racing greats. Hamilton has seemingly made it his mission to break records and make history throughout his career. The 37-year-old’s seventh Formula 1 Grand Prix win solidified that.
Although Hamilton has earned his spot as a motorsport athlete, he isn’t immune to the ugly nature of the world. The British driver said he had flashbacks to a traumatic childhood experience when he won his seventh Formula 1 title.
Lewis Hamilton’s seventh title set a record in F1 history
Hamilton won his seventh Formula 1 title in 2020 at the Turkish Grand Prix. The title came 12 years after his first Grand Prix victory and marked his 94th career win. After a momentous drive, Hamilton tied with legendary German driver Michael Schumacher’s haul of drivers’ crowns with seven World Driver’s Championship titles.
Hamilton was poised to surpass Schumacher’s legacy in 2021 in Abu Dhabi for an eighth title. But his rival Max Verstappen overtook him. Still, his seventh Formula 1 Grand Prix win was iconic and widely declared one of Hamilton’s finest triumphs. He was lost on words. The emotional British driver dedicated his win to “all the kids out there that believe in the impossible … You can do it,” he urged.
Hamilton’s first victory came in 2008 and made it the first of many. With 103 total wins under his belt, he currently holds the record for the most wins, most pole positions (103), and most consecutive podium finishes (188).
Lewis Hamilton’s seventh Formula 1 title gave him flashbacks to a traumatic childhood
Hamilton is considered one of the best Formula 1 drivers in the world. However, he has had his fair share of ups and downs along the way. Hamilton got his first taste at racing when his father bought him a radio-controlled car at five. He participated in a British Radio Car Association Championship the following year, finishing second.
As the only Black child at his club, the motorsport driver faced significant racist abuse. He was once mistakenly identified as the attacker of one of his fellow students in school. This mistake saw the young Hamilton get kicked off school.
Hamilton recently spoke with Vanity Fair about his colorful career’s defining moments. He reflected on the racism he experienced growing up and recalled a particularly shocking incident from his teenage years. Hamilton told the outlet that winning the seventh Formula 1 title helped him realize he had unresolved feelings from childhood. He explained his childhood growing up in the United Kingdom, saying, “There was a lot of the N-word going around.”
Hamilton shared one incident where he was attacked by a father and his son, unprovoked, while in Newcastle. At the time, he was about 11 years old and recalled being thrown to the ground by the duo who kicked him while shouting, “Go back to your country.”
Hamilton told the outlet he was confused, wondering why they yelled at him to return to his country, yet he was from Newcastle. “I could never understand it,” he said. Hamilton said he now uses people not believing in him as fuel to achieve even more greatness.
Lewis Hamilton started a research group to promote inclusivity in motorsports
In 2010, Lewis Hamilton founded the Hamilton Commission to transform the world of motorsports. The racing icon hopes to change the inequality in Formula 1 racing. He also launched a charity foundation called Mission 44, pledging $27.5 million to support programs that increase engineering and STEM education access.
Hamilton wants to support diversity in his field by creating “real change.” He noted he was able to get to where he is “through opportunity and support.”
Through his organizations, he hopes to do the same for young people with similar backgrounds.
