--- title: Lewis Hamilton | TIME100 Talks | TIME description: Lewis Hamilton on the impact of activism. Interviewed by Sean Gregory, TIME Senior Editor. canonical: https://time.com/video/TPgGvutk/ og:title: Lewis Hamilton | TIME100 Talks og:description: Lewis Hamilton on the impact of activism. Interviewed by Sean Gregory, TIME Senior Editor. og:url: https://time.com/video/TPgGvutk/ og:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/TPgGvutk/poster.jpg?width=720 og:type: video.other twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Lewis Hamilton | TIME100 Talks twitter:description: Lewis Hamilton on the impact of activism. Interviewed by Sean Gregory, TIME Senior Editor. twitter:image: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/TPgGvutk/poster.jpg?width=720 --- # Lewis Hamilton | TIME100 Talks > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ## Video: Lewis Hamilton | TIME100 Talks [Watch (HLS stream): Lewis Hamilton | TIME100 Talks](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/TPgGvutk.m3u8) (19:38)  _Published 2020-09-24. Lewis Hamilton on the impact of activism. Interviewed by Sean Gregory, TIME Senior Editor._ --- Jul 28, 2023 4:54 AM UTC --- ## More From This Series [All Videos](https://time.com/video/) [TIME100 Impact Awards: Gregory L. Robinson Speech](/video/XkrgeG6f/) ### TIME100 Impact Awards: Gregory L. Robinson Speech [Watch Lewis Hamilton Toast Prince at the TIME 100 Gala](/video/gYFZTe1g/) ### Watch Lewis Hamilton Toast Prince at the TIME 100 Gala [Best of 2015: Hamilton](/video/jxI8C8UV/) ### Best of 2015: Hamilton --- ## Transcript I'm Time senior editor Sean Gregory, and I'm joined by racecar driver Lewis Hamilton, the six time Formula One champion. Lewis. Thanks so much for joining us on TIME 100 talks. Thank you so much for having me, Sean. It's good to see you again. First of all, Lewis, congratulations on making the 2020 Time100 list. What does this honor mean to you? Oh, man, I am. I was so surprised and very humbled when when I got the call. I'm naturally I've. I've had the privilege of being visiting and gone to New York and going to the Time100 Ball and being amongst so many the. Great people that they represent. But this is particularly in the in a difficult year. This is was was such great news. You know, I think this year has been such a challenge and. So to to get recognition from, you know, really one of. The greatest syndicates there is, it's really a privilege to be a big thank you to everyone. With a win this upcoming weekend, September 27th in Sochi, Russia. You'll tie Michael Schumacher's all time Formula One record for race wins with 91. You're poised to win a seventh championship, which would also tie Schumacher for the all time record in championship win season. Championship wins. And American racecar driver Bubba Wallace in his tribute to you for the TIME 100 mentioned that seven is a magic number in racing in NASCAR. Richard Petty, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Senior have all won seven championships. How is how important is it to you to win eight or more championships and set a new standard for excellence in auto racing? Well, firstly, it's it was a real shock to me and surprise. Pleasant surprise to hear that. That Bubba. Had been so. Kind. To write something nice about me. And I think Bob has. Been so inspirational in what his what he's gone through, how brave he's been. And he and I have connected this. Year and support each other from afar. We, you know, every now and then we, we game on on our weekends off. Together, which is kind of cool. I've been in for one for 14 years now. And since I was a kid, I know I started dreaming of being a full. On racer when I was five. And my, my hero at the time was a guy called Ayrton Senna, you know, and he had won. Three world titles. So in my mind I was like, It would be amazing. Wouldn't it be amazing if firstly I can. Even get for one? That's the dream. And if I get that, it would be amazing to. Do, to emulate it and to do something like him. And you know, he won those titles, but also, you know, he moved the nation. He, he really inspired the whole of Brazil. And so he was a really impactful individual. So, like, I equaled him a few years ago and which was. Very, very surreal. Long, long journey, a lot of sacrifice from so many people around me, particularly my family. And it feels very, very. Strange to have six world titles. I knew about because I watched Michael win all. Those titles at home, sitting on my couch and on the weekends if I wasn't racing. And no one ever, ever. Thought that they would ever get close to that. And even I was like, I hadn't even put that on my list of. To do this. It was like, I've got to get there. But I am fighting for a. Seventh world title, which I feel very, very privileged. You know, they've got a great, great team. Never do it without great people behind you. I hadn't really thought about it too. Much to ask them a seven. Because I think I guess I'm just. Taking it one race at a time. I'm focused on I don't look too far ahead, but just to be able to match the greatest, you know, arguably the greatest driver in the history of the sport, which not many people ever get to do in sports history all together, would be an incredible privilege. And I feel a sense of responsibility being now, being that I am the only black driver here in my sport. And unfortunately, you know, there's not another black driver coming up to it. It's not a diverse sport at all. And so I feel that there's a I have a feel. I have responsibility, firstly. To utilize the platform to really push for change within the sport. And when calling out and. Pushing for change, it's not just for drivers, it's more it's even more so in the background with all the teams, which have thousands of. People working in them. Which are not diverse. And so on the journey to. Getting the seven, of course, one at a time. I do plan to continue, hopefully, and if I get the opportunity, I will be pushing for more. But honestly, I don't know how long. It'll be around, so we'll just have to wait and see. Lewis You mentioned being the only black driver you've taken a knee and your activism has been very, you know, ramped at this, you know, since the death of George Floyd particularly. You've taken a knee before races, warned Black Lives Matter shirts at races, races, Mercedes, change your car color from silver to black. And an anti-racism message at the Tuscan Grand Prix on September 13th before the race and at the podium ceremony, you wore a shirt that said arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor on the front. Say her name above a photo of Taylor on the back. What kind of impact do you think your activism has had? No, I think it's sometimes difficult to really to be able to gauge something like that when you're in you know, when you're in a sport, when you're in the moment, when you're when you're involved. It's I mean, I don't know how people. Necessarily perceive it. From the outside. I know I've had. Great response from. From the people that are following me. You know, I've seen fans. Put together videos of those. Them also saying that about they you know, they're. Going through an educational process. They're learning things they didn't know before. Some people taking to doing. Videos, taking the knee. So it has been incredibly encouraging. Some of the support that I've had. But, you know, it is you know, this thing is it's been it's not that I've you know, I've been black. I've lived this with this my whole life, you know, And I have spoken about it a lot through my career in Formula One, but I don't really. Listen too. Much. And when you had the when I had the. Racial abuse, when I was in Spain. No one did anything. I was really just lucky to have My dad was the only black figure otherwise there to support me so I could lean on that. That couldn't. Happen today. And thanks to the you know, to the Black Lives Matter movement. For me personally, know that watching George be killed off, we've seen, you know, and read about. So many of these other tragic tragedies. It brought up a lot of suppressed emotions that I hadn't even realized that I'd done because, no. You experienced things. You experience abuse. And you just. My dad would always say. Do you talking on the track? So I suppressed these things and it brought up a lot. And I was like, You know what? I've got to a niece and nephew, and I'm like, I want to utilize my time and my platform, my voice to change the future for them, for for the other. Kids around the world. I don't want them to have to. Experience what I experienced. And so many do experience way, way worse. And so I felt a responsibility. And and I think we all have a voice. But collectively, I think, as you can see this year, it's been a collective of a lot of celebrities and people with great platforms and really, really pushing for change. And I feel really proud to be a part of it. And after George Floyd was killed, you wrote on Instagram. Lewis I see those of you who are staying silent, some of you the biggest stars, yet you stay silent in the midst of injustice, not a sign from anybody in my industry, which of course, is a white dominated sport. I'm one of the only people of color out there, yet I stand alone. Do you still feel like you're fighting racism alone in one? So, you know, the message was directed was also kind of down to interpretation. Interpretation so people out there could interpret how they wanted to. So. You know, it wasn't just people within my industry. There was other sports stars that I that I admire and look up to who have incredible. Voices, who I watch to support, who just stay quiet. Musicians who have the power to really educate the people that that that are following that and not just be cool, you know. And the response has been, as I said in my industry, the. Response has been great. I think. It's a learning. Process for everyone. And, you know, I'm on a lot of. Zoom calls with with the heads of my sport. Spent a lot of time with with Mercedes. No, it was a long, long winded conversation to take get them to. Understand, you know, what I've been through and. What what the world is. What is out there. Because a lot of people are like, oh, I hadn't even realized. You know. When you work in an A in a team that's. Got almost 2000 people. Or I would ask my boss are like, why am I one of the only few people of color here? And at the beginning it was like I hadn't even realized. And then, no, after working together, he'd be like, You know, there's not a lot of the pool that we're hiring. From that just doesn't seem to be many people, minorities applying for the job and like, well, you got to widen the net. And so we're working now. I guess they've changed the car to black Mercedes is a Silver Star. It's never shifted from silver. So it's a really important message. I think that Mercedes are willing to. You know, accountability. I think is key for all of us. You know, I've I've said I should have been done more. I thought that me just being in the sport would have shifted things, but it hasn't been enough. And so I'm making sure that I correct that or at least apply my efforts and time. But the. Team shifting. There's been there's new. Training programs within my team that are happening. And I also I don't know if you know, but nobody's trying to find out when I ask people why is it not diverse? No one in my sport knows why they they don't have an answer. So I decided to put together. A commission. And I know there's a lot of commissions out there, but. The commission, the idea is to try and understand. What the barriers are and understand why people of color are not finishing some of the universities. You know, some of the getting. Through to the top universities, which these teams are hiring from. But why they're not finishing. One and not one more people and. Young boys. And girls not applying to be an engineer. And I want to understand that. And I want to work in terms of trying to once I get this commission, we don't know what the results would be to be able to give it to the industry and hopefully more industries so that they can apply a new method in terms of how they're hiring, non-biased training, all these sorts of things. And a lot of people will be watching the Hamilton Commission for sure. But you've mentioned and you've pointed out that it's not always a united front. One driver who didn't join you in kneeling was Charles Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, and he said, quote, I believe that what matters are facts and behaviors in our daily life rather than formal, formal gestures that could be seen as controversial in some countries. What's your response to that kind of thinking? So I've spent a lot of time trying to talk to each and every other driver that that I that I race with and know there are, I think seven or eight. Or nine or seven or eight. That don't take the name. Some of them were of the mindset. That why should I take the knee for why should I take the knee For Black Lives Matter? They didn't understand it and. Some were Well, I've never. Experienced racism, so it doesn't really is doesn't it doesn't include me. So I think ultimately it's education. Some were told not to take the knee. From high, high pounds around them, and that's what I know. But I won't go into names. But what I have tried to do is reach out to those individuals and try to. And try to. Just spark a conversation and. Rather than have them put their walls up. Try to just educate them and. And also empower. Them, say, look, you can be a part of this. You know, we need you to be a part of this shift. And I'm trying to. Do that with the. Drivers, but it's a little bit harder because of the. Competitors and also, you. Know. And so it's a very, very fine. Line to to to to navigate through. In terms of how people perceive it in their. Countries. Because you've got a Russian driver who says. That this won't be. Accepted in Russia. You've got a. Spanish driver that will say that, you know, this won't look be looked. Upon very well in Spain. And those are guys I have to try and explain what I've been through and what. People around the world are going through, and that this is not just only about black people, it is about the inequality and injustices around the world. But it's as I said, it's a it's a learning process. And it's it's not it's not to be eradicated in one day, in one. Swift swoop. So it's it's something that I will continue to to do. The thing for me. Though, as I try to explain to them, you know, black people don't have the time to opt out. And in today's world, it's. Not it's not enough to not be racist. You have to be anti-racist today. You have to be anti sexist and so much more. And. You know, if you're. You could be racist or you could be not be racist. But you're being silenced. Is is speaks volumes. And I think today, as I said, you need to be actively anti-racist. But, you know, the drivers are always the non. And racism T-shirt. But I choose to wear the Black Lives Matter shirt was. I'm going back to Bubba Wallace for a second. You mentioned that you guys have been in touch. He told us that, you know, you you sent notes of encouragement to him during late Night Call of Duty gaming sessions. But what did you think of Bubba's own activism in the US? I think is a daunting thing to, you know, from this side of the world what NASCAR. You know, I'm a fan of. I watch a lot of U.S. sports and big fan of NBA and AFL and and I watch I watch NASCAR and. I know that. That is also a very white dominated sport, has been for a long, long time. I was really surprised and happy to. See the response from NASCAR, the actual organization. And how they supported Bubba. I thought it was incredibly impactful and. I thought he. Was incredibly brave. You know, particularly in America. Which when you're in Europe and you watch over American, I love America. You know, I spend my winters there. I've dreamed of. Living there my whole life. It's just impossible, kind of with a full on career at the moment. But but also it is, you know, when you're watching from a. From Europe where there's not a lot of shooting, we don't have access to guns, you know, the same as it is in the States. You know, it's a it's a bit. More of a scary place because a lot of the killings are happening there. There's over over a thousand people are shot every year by the police. So, you know, I, I just thought that it was incredibly. Brave what he did. And I just. Wanted him to know that, you know, sometimes people in those positions. Don't always hear always the best things. And I was like, I just want you to know that you support and you doing incredible and please keep going because your voice matters. And that's this. I think that's important for people to. Have you ever thought of racing over here, over in the United States in NASCAR? I have. I did, yes. Well, years ago, I did a swap with my for one car at the NASCAR with Tony Stewart years ago, I think when I was a lot younger, Tony just about fit in my car. So that was so much fun. It was at Watkins Glen and the NASCAR was awesome. So I don't know if I'm ever going to race over there. I haven't really thought. About what would be beyond my racing. I've been racing since I was eight. So I mean, it's be it's going to be very hard to imagine not competing. Maybe I'll do some practice. And see how it is. But I have been to watch. A NASCAR race and came to see Jeff Gordon, I think it was down in Miami. So I wouldn't that you can never say never. But at the moment. No particular plans to race beyond one. And Lewis and closing what changes do you hope to see both inside and outside racing in a post-pandemic world? What I think this time is. I mean, obviously it's been such a. Scary time, I think. To to be living in then I think none of us probably expected to to be caught up in in a pandemic like this. It's been really eye opening to see how. Governments have behaved. Leaders which has been able to from for me personally, has been really disappointing. But I think for people who are who are living through this, you know, being in lockdown, being stuck in in at home. There's like. A hope. There's there's positives to come from it. You know, in terms of time, we of a family. Understand, you know. Understanding what our real priorities are. And this is obviously. Being having the pandemic, given the time. For people to be able to go and do these protests and really put a lot of pressure on the system around the world, because it's not only in the States. And that's really, I think, an important message. You know, you've got plus you have the police brutality, their systemic racism is throughout the world. And I'm hoping that and. Whilst I'm working, trying to push with this commission, working with like the the mayor of London, working with people who are actually in power to try and educate people and push for change. I think ultimately it stems down to education. So I'm really hoping for me personally, like in England and hopefully in the rest of Europe, we'll be able to encourage people to to educate these kids better so they understand, I think, from a young age already what inclusivity is, what equality really means. And the sooner we can help these young kids understand that, the better I think the future could be. So that's my kind of goal. As I said, you know, I don't want my kids to my nieces, nephews or my future kids and your kids to go through or live in a time that we're obviously living in. So, you know, fingers crossed. Thanks for joining us on TIME 100 talks and congratulations again. My pleasure. Thank you so much. 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