Hamilton’s legacy with Mercedes is much more than on-track performance and record breaking. He has led a push for more diversity and inclusion. – not just at Mercedes but in F1 as a whole.
As F1’s only black driver, and its most famous figure, Hamilton has a unique platform, and is determined to put it to good use.
“The thing I’m most proud of,” says Hamilton, “when I think about what I leave behind, I hope positively, is the work we’ve done with diversity and inclusion.
“From the first moment I sat down with Toto, he and the whole team were open-minded. They’ve all been on diversity and inclusion courses.
“We now have a very diverse team, which I am truly grateful to be a part of.
“I said to Toto: ‘When I leave the team, there will be no one in the room who will have this cool conversation with you, because I am who I am, and I hope you continue to do that.’ And he said he would.”
Wolff says: “He was definitely someone who inspired and changed things and did things.
“Mercedes knows its responsibility on the topics of diversity and fighting racism or antisemitism. This has always been something that we have been absolutely targeting, and it is also a responsibility of the group.
“When he came in, we were looking at things from different angles and different perspectives that he gave us.”
Among other changes, Mercedes has launched a program called Accelerate 25, which requires that 25% of all new hires come from underrepresented backgrounds.
“His influence will have left an indelible mark on our team,” says Shovelin. “Not just the work he has done to promote diversity within this team and within F1 more broadly. But just his values, how he goes about his work, his commitment. He is very open and honest with his emotional side.
“It was great that he had the energy to do it consistently. Because it wasn’t something he could just say: ‘I’ve got a great idea, let’s do it.’ It has taken a lot of energy over the years to push these topics consistently up the agenda.”
