Lewis Hamilton has implored the people of Africa to “take back” their continent in an impassioned speech at the Australian Grand Prix on Thursday.
Hamilton, F1’s first black driver, has African heritage and has spent recent summer breaks travelling through several African countries, including Kenya, Rwanda and Benin.
The seven-time world champion, embarking on his 20th consecutive season and second with Ferrari, has also previously backed the staging of an F1 race in Africa, the only habitable continent the sport does not hold a grand prix. South Africa, Rwanda and Morocco have all declared an interest in recent years.
When asked about which African city Hamilton would like to see an F1 race in, the 41-year-old responded uninterrupted for three minutes straight as he spoke of his adoration for the continent and hope for change in the future.
“I’ve had the privilege… I’ve been to 10 countries now in Africa,” he said. “There’s still so much more for me to see. For the past six years, maybe seven, I’ve been fighting in the background to get a grand prix… sitting with stakeholders and asking the question, ‘why are we not in Africa? There’s one on every other continent, why not Africa?’
“I know they’re really trying. I think they’ve been to quite a few different countries. The ones that I’ve enjoyed the most: I loved Kenya. I don’t think we’re going to have a grand prix in Kenya, but Rwanda particularly was spectacular. Two places I felt like I could live.
“South Africa is stunning. I think those are the ones I think would be good places for us to potentially go to. I don’t want to leave the sport without having a grand prix there, without getting to race there, so I’m chasing them: ‘when is it going to be?!’
“They’re setting certain dates… I could be running out of time, so I’m going to be here for a while until that happens, because that would be amazing, given that I’m half African.
“I’ve got roots from a few different places there, like Togo and Benin. I went to visit Benin last year, Senegal and Nigeria. It’s something I’m really, really proud of. I’m really proud of that part of the world.”
Hamilton then stated his belief that Africa can become the “most powerful place in the world,” adding: “I don’t like that the rest of the world owns so much of it [Africa] and takes so much from it and no one speaks about it.
“I’m really hoping that the people who are running those different countries all unite and come together and take Africa back. That’s what I want to see. Take it back from the French, take it back from the Spanish, take it back from the Portuguese and the British. It’s so important for the future of that continent.
“They have all the resources to be the greatest and most powerful place in the world, and that’s probably why they are being controlled the way they are.”
Hamilton is looking to bounce back this season after a torrid first year with Ferrari, in which he failed to finish on the podium. The season-opener takes place in Melbourne on Sunday (4am GMT).
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