Sir Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton is one of the biggest names in sports all over the world. He is the most popular, marketable, and (statistically) successful driver to ever grace the paddock. The 7X World Champion is the epitome of sheer talent and hard work combined and is a motivation to many around the world.
Lewis Hamilton appeared on the ‘On Purpose’ podcast on Monday and spoke out about the hurdles he had to face to reach the place where he is now.
He opened up on the podcast saying that he was being bullied even at the tender age of six and that he was being bullied by bigger and stronger kids of color. He also mentioned that when he was in Secondary school, he was one of the only 3 black kids out of 1200 students in total and that they were regularly subject to punishment by the school authorities themselves.
“And the constant jabs, the things that are either thrown at you, like bananas, or people that would use the N-word just so relaxed. People calling you half-caste and not knowing where you fit in. That for me was difficult.”
Hamilton expressed that he felt that the system was against him and refrained from getting confrontational. He was discriminated against and called racial slurs repeatedly and regularly, and to add to this he said that he didn’t say anything to his father about any of this because “I didn’t want my dad to think I was not strong.” He spoke.
Lewis Hamilton’s family
Hamilton was two when his parents Anthony Hamilton and Carmen Larbalestier divorced. He also has a brother Nicolas Hamilton, who happens to be a driver in the British Touring Car Championship. The 7X world champion aspires to put his mother’s surname, Larbalestier into his full name.
His family has been supportive of him since his days of go-karting. It was a gift from Anthony on his sixth birthday, that sparked an interest in Lewis for motorsport.
His father was also his manager up until 2010 when he was sacked, rather dramatically. When asked about this, Anthony said “He decided he wanted to be his own man. I was comfortable with that.”
Hamilton was raised by his mum Carmen along with his half-sisters Nicola and Samantha. Later when he moved in with Anthony and his half-brother Nicolas. That did not affect the relationship between Lewis and Carmen. They still do share a good relationship and Carmen has been there for the big moments in his career.
The British driver has the world record for 103 wins, 103 poles, and 7 world championships. This makes him the most successful driver ever statistically. He needs one more WDC to break Michael Schumacher’s record for 7X WDCs.
The Silver Arrow had a pretty forgettable season in 2022, mainly due to the car’s limitations and issues with porpoising. Mercedes making a car not competitive enough and Ferrari’s disappointing race strategy helped Red Bull deliver a Vettel-Esque dominating season in 2022 with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez on the grid and Christian Horner at the helm.
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