A brilliant drive during a rainy Turkish Grand Prix saw Hamilton not only win the race – for a record-lengthening 94th Grand Prix win – but also equal Michael Schumacher’s total of seven world titles, the only remaining record of the German great to hold the Englishman has not yet surpassed.
“Seven World Championships mean the world to me, I can’t even describe how many, but there is one race we have yet to win,” the message read.
“This year I was driven not only by my desire to win on the track, but also by a desire to push our sport and our world to become more diverse and inclusive. I promise you I won’t stop fighting for We still have a long way to go, but I will continue to push for equality in our sport and in the larger world we live in.
“By matching Michael Schumacher’s record, I’m being put in the spotlight that I know won’t be here forever. So while you’re here, paying attention, I’d like to ask everyone to do their part to help create a to create a more equal world. Let’s be more accepting and nice to each other. Let’s make sure that opportunities don’t depend on background or skin color.”
No driver in the history of the sport has won so many races, achieved so many pole positions or finished on the podium as many times as Hamilton. He is widely expected to top up his roster of world titles – by saying on the podium after the race that he felt “like I’ve only just started” – and his place in the F1 pantheon is long since secured .
He is the face of F1, but also his voice and conscience and has used his status like no other F1 world champion. F1’s first and only black world champion in its 70-year history, this year he became one of the leading voices in the sport in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
With Hamilton as a force for change, Mercedes – famed for its silver livery – unveiled an all-black car for this season in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, with the drivers wearing black uniforms and the halos of both cars with the call to “End Racism.” .”
The incredible story of the Briton – his father, Anthony, juggled three jobs, re-mortgaged the family home and poured into his savings to keep his son into karting – exemplifies how notoriously difficult the sport is to to participate, especially because of the financial costs involved.
“The fact is I’m bi-racial…and there’s colorism that maybe people should read about.
“When I was younger I didn’t have anyone in the sport that looked like me so it was easy to think it’s not possible to get there because nobody of your color has ever been there, you don’t see black people in F1 .
“But hopefully this sends a message to the kids watching… that no matter where you’re from, whatever your background, it’s so important for you to dream big.
“You can create your own path and that’s what I’ve been able to do, and it’s been so hard. Taai doesn’t even describe how hard it has been.”
Immediately after the race, Hamilton sat in his car with his head buried in his hands, struggling to hold back the tears.
“Very rarely do I lose control of my emotions, but I remember those last few laps and I told myself to keep it together,” Hamilton told reporters.
“When I crossed the line it really hit me and I burst into tears.
“I didn’t want the visor to come up and people to see the tears, because I would always say you’ll never see me cry. I remember seeing other drivers cry in the past, and I thought: that I’m never going to do that, but it was too much.”
Hamilton had to finish eight points ahead of his teammate Valtteri Bottas to secure the title at Istanbul Park. He did that with ease and drove around the Finn who crossed the line in 14th place to collect zero points.
Driving the same Mercedes machines, Bottas’ performance illustrated how superior a talent Hamilton is. No one has come close to challenging the world champion during this truncated season and he secured the title with three races to go, having won four races in a row this year and 10 of 14 races so far.