LONDON: Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton feels ‘changed’ after traveling to Africa during F1’s August vacation.
The only black driver in F1, whose paternal grandparents are British and immigrated to the UK from the Caribbean, has documented his journeys to Namibia, Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania on social media.
“The last two weeks have been the best days of my life,” the 37-year-old said in an Instagram post.
Instagram / Lewis Hamilton
“I am not the same person I was before this trip. All the beauty, love and peace I have experienced, I feel completely transformed.”
Hamilton, who raced for Mercedes and won a record 103 grands prix, said he felt more connected to his roots and ancestry than ever before.
“No photo can capture how I feel right now or what I’m going to say,” he told his 29.5 million followers. Emotions run deep there.”
Instagram / Lewis Hamilton
Hamilton has long called for F1 to race on the continent, which has spoken to South African organizers about returning to Kyalami for the first time since 1993.
Hamilton, an outspoken activist for racial equality and diversity, said last year, “One place where I really feel important is getting racing back in South Africa.
“I think we have great fans out there and it would be great if we could highlight how beautiful our country is.”
