Lewis Hamilton details the racial insults and harassment he endured at school as a child

Lewis hamilton He has always criticized racism and even came to create in his time ‘Hamilton Commission’ to help people of color access careers in technology, and now he recalls several episodes of racism and bullying he experienced at school as a child for being of color.

The seven-time world champion, who in his time came to refer to himself as “the first champion of the working class”, told the ‘On Purpose’ podcast by producer Jay Shetty, Referred to as the ‘coach’ of the stars, the bullying he received at school by some of his classmates as a child, caused him to experience the “most traumatic” period of his life.

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“I started being bullied when I was six years old. In my school I was one of three colored kids and I was bullied a lot by bigger, stronger kids.” A harassment that took the form of punches, throwing different things like bananas and using the word ‘nigger’ -a pejorative racist term- that made him question his place.

It’s a bad drink and bad times at school that after classes “I don’t want to go home and tell my parents that those kids called me black, that they harassed or hit me at school. I don’t want to my father thinks I’m weak.”

This is not the first time that Hamilton has denounced the racism that he has suffered greatly or has been shown in society. In 2008 in some tests on Circuit of Barcelona-Catalunya He was criticized by some fans for the color of his skin and always tried to carry the flag of anti-racism, exemplified in his words and actions after The death of George Floyd in May 2020 in the US city of minneapolis because of police brutality. “What happened after the death of George (Floyd) hit me hard. I can’t believe that so many people are still silent about what happened and I want the black community to know that I’m listening and I’m behind them.” he said to his day.

Hamilton, still the only black driver in Formula 1 to this day, created the Mission 44 foundation to help the most disadvantaged and the organization. Ignite Partnershipthe latter with his mercedes team, to increase diversity and inclusion in motorsports, up to donating 7% of their profits to charitable causes. In particular, in 2022 he was the athlete who contributed the most money to charitable causes, reaching 23 million euros.