F1 News: Lewis Hamilton Calls For Huge Shift In Team Expansions - "It's All Male, Needs To Change"

Hamilton speaks out for a monumental shift towards inclusivity and diversity within Formula 1 teams, urging for revised criteria and enhanced opportunities from leadership to the track.

Seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton underscores a poignant message concerning the stark lack of diversity within the high ranks of Formula 1 teams. Advocating for a deliberate shift towards inclusivity, Hamilton candidly expresses, “It's all male, and that needs to change."

Key Takeaways

• Consistently championing for increased diversity within F1, Hamilton’s voice amplifies concerns regarding the lack of women in team leadership and a clear absence of equal opportunities.
• Not simply backing Andretti Formula Racing, but rather seizing the prospect of job creation and potential diversification that an additional team could introduce into the grid.
• Hamilton suggests a comprehensive review of team establishment criteria, which, in his view, should be amended to ensure genuine impact and enforce diverse representation from the top down.

Lewis Hamilton, celebrated not only for his remarkable on-track exploits but also for his steadfast advocacy for diversity within the racing world, has long been a vocal proponent for change within Formula 1. His latest commentary arises amidst discussions regarding the possible introduction of an 11th team, Andretti Formula Racing, to the F1 grid.

“It wasn't that I support Andretti. I think from a driver's perspective, it's exciting to potentially see more cars [on the grid]," Hamilton clarified to the media.

Mercedes Press Image

Emphasising the significance of job creation that an additional team would bring, he continued, “we have over 2,000 people in our team. So that's a huge amount of jobs.”

However, Hamilton's focus pivoted towards the importance of structural change within the teams themselves. 

“I feel like we need to amend the criteria actually, and make sure that there's an opportunity for real impact, really making sure that if there is a new team, they have to be diverse.

“At the moment, it’s all white owners. And there's a real lack of diversity from the top down. It's all male, and that needs to change."

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Hamilton entrusts future decisions in the capable hands of F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, stating:

I really do have 100 per cent faith in Stefano who I've known for a long, long time. I think what he's doing at the top, there's no one that could do a better job than him. And I know that he will make the right decision.”